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Chapter Text

"I choose Nohr!"

There they were, out in the field by Hoshido's borders. The Nohrian invaders and Hoshidan defenders were stunned by the declaration.

Corrin (Kamui, as her birth family called her) had wondered how events had led to this moment. Then, the last few weeks of her life flashed before her eyes.

...

Gunter – "Lady Corrin, train with Xander."
Xander – "You beat me, now you can live with us."
Camilla – "I love you Corrin!"
Elise – "I love you more!"
Garon – "Go kill the prisoners!"
Kaze – "I am a ninja."
Rinkah – "Fire puns!"
Leo – "I secretly spared the prisoners for you."
Garon – "Go to the border with Hans."
Hans – "ME KILL! KILL GUNTER!"
Gunter – "Wait wha-"
Mikoto – "Welcome to Hoshido! I'm your real mom!"
Ryoma – "Sister."
Hinoka – "Sister!"
Sakura – "Sister?"
Takumi – "Meh."
Azura – "I'm mysterious."
Mikoto – "Oops I died."
Kaze – "Oh, Kamui's a dragon now."
Ryoma – "Revenge!"
Yukimura – "Lady Kamui can wield Yato!"
Ryoma – "So… revenge?"
Xander – "Wait! Come back with us, Little Princess!"
Corrin - "Uhhh…"

...

"So… Ryoma… I think it would be best if you and your guys surrendered… yeah."

"Kamui what are you saying?! You're siding with Nohr?! After all they've done?!"

"Well…" She winced. "I've grown up with these people. Okay so I'm not related by blood, but they were there for me! They laughed with me, they cried with me…"

"And what about the part where they kidnapped you in the first place? After killing our father? And what about Mother?!"

"Hey, that wasn't Xander or Leo or any of my siblings! That was King Garon! And we don't know for sure if Garon was behind the festival! I talk about it with him, and get his side of the story, maybe-"

"Our parents, Kamui!" Ryoma cried. Corrin glared.

"I hate it, Ryoma! But I don't think killing more people is the right answer!"

The samurai scowled. "They're the reason you couldn't live with us as our sister!"

"I know! But… Ryoma, I can't pretend the last sixteen years of my life were meaningless." She took a deep breath. "And… like I said, I can discuss this with King Garon and convince him that invading wouldn't be a good idea!"

Xander frowned. "I… don't think he'll listen."

"Xander, I'm trying to make a point!" She glared at him. "And when were you planning on telling me that we weren't blood-related?!"

He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Corrin. I didn't want you to feel unloved. I was going to tell you not long after you returned from the canyon."

"Do the others know?"

"Only our siblings and the castle staff. And… Gunter knew."

Corrin looked at the ground, remembering Gunter. She then turned back to Ryoma. "I have to know why King Garon is doing all this, Ryoma."

Ryoma waved his arm. "The man tried to kill you twice! You're taking it rather well, don't you think?!"

"I just think that there's more to this that we're not seeing!"

"Mother is rolling in her grave, Kamui! Or should I say 'Corrin'?" Ryoma drew his blade. "You're coming home, one way or another."

Ryoma ran up to attack Corrin, but Xander blocked with his sword, even from his horseback height. "Why don't you try someone your own size?"

The samurai glared. "… Fine. Over there. I will kill you."

"I'll bring my horse."

"Nobody cares about your horse!"

Xander and Ryoma went off to fight it out, signaling to their troops that it was time to fight.

In all the chaos, Rinkah had gone off to beat some soldiers, while Kaze disappeared elsewhere.

Corrin found herself before all her betrayed siblings. Sakura could not even look at her, and Hinoka was on the verge of tears. But Takumi…

"I knew it! I knew it! You weren't our sister after all!"

He was livid.

"Corrin!" called a familiar voice. Leo rode up on his horse, Brynhildr in hand. "Is your fake family giving you trouble?"

"Please don't call them that."

Then there were two more voices, calling in unison.

"Lady Corrin!"

"Oh now what?!" asked Takumi.

Jakob and Felicia, both equally ragged from travel, had found themselves before Corrin and Leo. They bowed.

"Jakob? Felicia?! What happened to you guys?!"

"Milady forgive me, I'd searched high and low for you," Jakob said. "I even ran into Felicia."

"I missed you, milady! And I heard you were missing, so I left Flora in charge and came to find you and Jakob and Gunter!" The maid paused for a moment. "Is it… Is it true that you're secretly a missing Hoshidan princess?"

"Not anymore!" Takumi cried. "Now get out of the way or I'll kill you and her!"

Leo glared. "I don't like your tone. In fact…" Leo waved his arm, and a tree branch unearthed itself, slapping Takumi away. "Why don't you take a nap?"

"Leo…! Can't we just retreat? I don't want to fight, I want to speak with Father!"

Leo shook his head. "What, and let them think we're just snatching you away? They have to know that you chose this. That, and we were literally ordered to fight."

Hinoka and her Pegasus came from nowhere, naginata at the ready. Leo gasped and moved his horse out of the way, just in time. Hinoka turned her Pegasus around. "I already think you're taking her away," she growled, "and I won't let you do it a second time!"

"It's no good, Hinoka!" yelled Takumi. "If we drag her back, she'll just come running back to Nohr! I'm killing her!" Takumi readied his bow, but Jakob and Felicia instantly ran up and cross-cut him with their daggers. "Aaaaaah!"

"TAKUMI! You monsters!" Hinoka twirled her weapon and swung again at Leo. The boy was able to keep dodging, but could not make any attack. He groaned.

"If only Niles were here, he could snipe her…" Leo muttered.

"Hold still!"

Ryoma was easily dodging all the blood-red beams from Siegfried, and managing to strike Xander with lightning all the while.

"Undo the brainwashing you performed on my sister, and we'll talk!"

"I didn't do anything!" Xander shot and missed again. "Corrin chose this on her own!" Another failed shot. "Oh come on!"

Camilla flew by and nicked Ryoma with her axe, but that only slowed him down. She frowned. "Drat, I was a little off."

One of Siegfried's beams shot Ryoma right in the face and Xander smiled. "Ha! Finally!"

Then Ryoma recovered, and let loose an inelegant roar. He ran up and swung his blade, knocking Xander off his horse. Sieghorse whinnied and ran away.

"For… crying out loud!"

With Xander defeated, Ryoma turned to Camilla. "You're next!"

"Uhh… Bye!" Camilla flew off, but Ryoma gave chase on foot.

Elise's horse came up to the scene. "Oh no! I'll save you, Xander!"

The young princess waved a Heal staff in the air over Xander, and the prince opened his eyes again.

"Ugh… Thank you… Elise… Let's go… find my horse…"

"Okay."

"Aaah! What magic is this?!" Hinoka cried. Her Pegasus was held down with branches, while Leo smugly grinned. With a flick of the wrist, the branches slammed Hinoka's horse against the ground, knocking the rider off. "I will... get you… for this…!"

"Lady Corrin!" Felicia called. "I saw Lord Xander get beaten, and now the angry samurai's headed right this way!"

Corrin hung her head. "I'll face him."

"We will go with you," Jakob said with a bow.

"No. I want you two to heal Xander. Ryoma's tough, he must've done a lot of damage."

"Oh don't worry, Elise has it covered," Camilla said, newly arriving.

"Yes… Don't trouble yourself. Traitor," Yukimura spat.

"Yukimura?!" Corrin turned and saw him. He was now sitting atop a mechanical lion of sorts. "How long were you there?!"

"Uh… I wasn't really paying attention. But that's not the point! You have to- Oh hello." The old man saw that Camilla's wyvern was right beside him. "Say, is this mechanical?"

"No, she's real," Camilla explained nonchalantly.

"Fascinating. You know, I've been meaning to look into mechanical dragons and-" The wyvern waved its tail and knocked Yukimura off his contraption. "Oof! Oww…" With another slap, the dragon's tail crushed his vehicle. "… I sort of walked into that one," Yukimura admitted, "but Lord Ryoma shall not fall!"

"Let's hurry!" Leo called. Corrin nodded.

"Jakob, Felicia, defend Elise!"

"Understood."

"We got it!"

As Jakob and Felicia went to find Elise and Xander, Corrin and her siblings made their way to Ryoma. But one last person stood in their way...

"N-no! I won't let you hurt Ryoma!"

Sakura stood before them, arms spread. Corrin was stunned, but managed to find words. "Sakura… I don't want to hurt you… Please move..."

"I-I-I won't! P-please…" she looked like she was about to cry. "Please don't hurt us again!"

"Sakura…"

Camilla turned to Corrin. "Corrin, she's so cute, but she's in our way. I'll take care of this."

"Camilla, don't!" Corrin yelled. "I… Can we really harm an innocent person?"

"Oh I won't kill her, I'll just knock her out! Easy! Be right back!" Camilla went off to attack Sakura, smiling the whole time. Sakura shook, but did not move. As she closed her eyes to brace for impact, and Camilla raised her axe, the maiden only heard screaming.

"Aaaaaah!"

Camilla was hit with lightning before she could attack Sakura. Everyone looked, and found Ryoma running up to them.

"You fiend! Stop hiding behind your siblings and fight me!" Ryoma ordered, pointing his blade at Corrin. Corrin shakily reached for Yato and prepared to fight, and Ryoma immediately sent lightning at her.

"Aaaah!" Corrin was knocked back, but remained on her feet. "Ahhh…"

"Idiot. You already forgot what Raijinto can do?"

"Yeah… I kind of have no excuse for that one…"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh for crying out loud already." He waved his arm and then more tree branches came from the earth. They all knocked Ryoma onto his back, while more began to grow and keep him pinned to the ground, as though they were wooden belts.

"There, no more crazy samurai. That'll hold him down for the kill."

"Leo… Let's just go. We've beaten their commanders, we can leave," Corrin pleaded, "Please…"

"Oh, fine. Let's go…" Leo rode off, and Camilla's wyvern tiredly followed along.

"That was fun! Except for the lightning."

"THIS ISN'T OVER! YOU WILL COME BACK TO US, KAMUI!" Ryoma roared. "I SWEAR ON IT!"

Corrin slowly followed Leo and Camilla, and pretended not to hear Sakura crying.

As Corrin left with her family, one last person spoke to her.

"So… That's it?" asked Azura.

Corrin could not look at her. "… Yeah. I really think it's the best way for this war to-"

"You already gave your reasons. Look…" Azura started, "I'm not too mad about this. We're kind of in the same position. So if you think you can help more people this way, then do it."

Corrin turned around, and nodded. "All right."

"Just do it."

"I… will."

"Don't let your dreams be dreams."

"O…kay?"

"Yesterday, you said 'tomorrow'."

Corrin began to feel weird. "All… all right. I'll just be going now. Bye, Azura. And… I don't deserve to ask, but…"

"I don't think they'll ever get over this. But I can ask if they understand once they've had time to rest," Azura said. Corrin opened her mouth, but got interrupted. "No I'm still not psychic."

Everyone prepared the carriages and horses. Jakob was inspecting Corrin for any wounds in a paranoid frenzy, while Felicia happily dusted parts of Corrin's armor.

"We're so happy you're safe, milady!" Felicia chirped.

"I'm glad you and Jakob are safe too." Corrin smiled. "I hope Flora doesn't have it too tough, all by herself in the fortress."

"She'll manage." Jakob said. "There are times where she even gives my domestic skills a run for their money."

Felicia's eyes lit up. "Oh, uh, she and I actually got to go to the castle! That's how I was able to get close enough to find Jakob!"

Out of nowhere, a little dragon descended to Corrin's eye level. "Lady Corrin!"

"Lilith!"

"Lilith?!" asked Jakob. "Our Lilith?"

"Aww, she got cute!" Felicia cooed.

"Um… thank you?"

Corrin smiled. "What brings you back, Lilith?"

"Well… I wanted to help you! Let me give you access to the Astral Plane. If you're going to fight for Nohr from now on, it could get rough. But if you stay in the Astral Plane, you'll be safe! You can take all the time you need to plan your next move, and almost no one can ambush you there!"

"Almost? That's not good enough," Jakob derided, already over the shock of seeing Lilith as a dragon.

Lilith had gotten used to Jakob's attitude long ago. "What do you say?"

Corrin put a finger to her chin. "Hmm… I can imagine strategic advantages with that. But… I think for now I'd like to spend some time with my family. But you can stay with us!"

A flash of sadness came over Lilith when Corrin said that, but she did not act on it. "All right, milady. I'll keep an eye out for you..."

With that, Lilith left, and Corrin rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, so… she's a dragon. And not just that, but I can turn into a dragon now too."

"What?!" Both Felicia and Jakob were stunned. Before they could say more, Elise arrived and hugged Corrin.

"Big Sister! I'm soooo happy to see you again! I was worried for a minute there, to be honest. I was worried you might've left us…"

Warmth reentered Corrin, as she ruffled Elise's hair. "Aw, how could I stay away from you? Come on, we should be heading back. We have a lot of catching up to do. Did you know I can turn into a dragon now?"

"Whoa! Really? I find that hard to believe…" Elise said. Jakob shuddered.

"I sense several broken vases. It'll be like having two of Felicia."

The maid frowned. "I'm right here!"

But then, Elise frowned. "Corrin… Are you going to be okay? Those Hoshidans seemed really upset with you."

Corrin sighed and hung her head. "Yeah… And maybe I deserve it. But I don't want any more pointless bloodshed. I need to know more about what's happening. And besides, I can't leave all of you behind."

That is what Corrin told herself. She believed it, too. The princess was not blind, she knew King Garon was up to no good, and missed Queen Mikoto dearly. But going on a vengeful warpath was not an option for Corrin. She vowed to prove her mettle to Garon, and earn his trust. And with a lot of perseverance, perhaps she could talk him out of this pointless war.

To be continued.

Chapter Text

Princess Corrin had returned to Nohr, declaring her allegiance after her stay in Hoshido. On the path home, she regaled her siblings with tales of what happened during her stay in the other nation. They did seem upset to learn what happened at the festival, but sadly did not deny the military's use of Faceless. Her family also seemed displeased with the notion of anyone else being Corrin's family, whenever she referred to them as such.

Eventually, they made it back to Castle Krakenburg, and Corrin found herself before King Garon once more.

"Father, we're back!"

Garon looked up from reading a newsletter. "What? Yer still alive? Uh, I mean, good job, kids. Ya did yer father proud. Now go away." He went back to reading, and Corrin frowned. She turned back to her siblings, and they all nodded. They were used to this. Suddenly, Garon whipped his reading material away. "Wait what?! Even Corncob came back?!"

Corrin's frown deepened. "… Yes."

"What fer?!"

"Uh… because I love my family and want to serve Nohr?"

Garon leaned forward and glared at the girl. "Oh yeah? Well the spies told me you've been livin' with that danged queen in Hoshido! I know you had trouble killin' those Hoshidan prisoners, so how do I know yer not just gonna stab me in the back?!"

Iago walked out from behind the throne, standing between Garon and his spittoon, being there just in time to get shot with Garon's spit. "How mmmmmortifying… Anyway, I smell betrayal! She will run you into the ground, Garon mmmm'boy! Kill her! And let me watch!"

"What?! No, I'm not against you!" Corrin pleaded.

Xander stepped forward. "Father, Corrin beat up all her old family before returning with us. It was something."

Corrin raised her eyebrows. "Wait, no I- Ow!" Leo had elbowed her in the gut. "Uh, yeah I sure did that all right."

The crown prince nodded. "You should've seen it, Father. First there was this kid about Leo's age. His hair looked like some kind of fruit. Corrin just walked right up and pimp-slapped him with her new sword!"

"Wait, where is Ganglari?" asked Garon.

"Oh… It, uh… it… kind of exploded," Corrin answered sheepishly. Garon smiled.

"Good… good…"

"Good? You meant for the sword to explode, Father?" Corrin questioned. Garon nodded.

"Yup, surely did! And you even survived! That's just whipped cream on top o' the pie!"

Iago started leaning against the throne, rolling his head. "I still think she's a spy, mmmmmmilord."

"No one cares what you think!" Xander and Garon told Iago together. Then the king put a hand to his chin.

"Then again, we are havin' a war… Better kill the girl just to be safe," he said, as if it were a simple chore. Garon looked at Xander. "Take care of it, boy."

Iago beamed. "Yes! YES!"

Xander nervously looked around. "Okay, I hear what you've said, just let me propose a countermeasure- We don't kill Corrin, and just go on about the war. What do you say?"

"Yer missin' the whole point, Xander! I know her type, she's gonna start a rebellion! Like a danged seed! Now salt the earth before she sprouts and I get weeds all over my chair!" Garon stood up. "Or so help me boy, I'll switch you right here in front o' Anankos and everybody!"

Camilla finally spoke up. "Father, please, that's enough!"

"What, you wanna do it instead, daughter?" asked Garon. "I know how bloodthirsty you can get, and I respect that. You can kill her if you want."

"But your mmmmmmajesty, I wanted to see Xander do it! No fair!"

Garon scowled. "Someone kill Corn right now or so help me, I'll kill her myself!"

Corrin tentatively raised her hand. "Uh, can I get a say in this?"

"Now what?!" squawked Iago. Corrin gulped.

"What if… I found a way to prove my loyalty to Nohr?"

Garon paused for a moment. "Hmm… Fine, I'll ask Anankos! But it ain't gonna be pretty!" He looked up to the ceiling, and everyone's eyes followed. There was a statue carved out of a large medallion on the ceiling. "HEY! ANANKOS! TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

A pregnant pause came next. Elise gripped Camilla's arm. Leo cleared his throat. Xander twiddled his thumbs. Iago yawned. Corrin clenched and unclenched her fists. Garon stood completely still, waiting for an answer.

Four whole minutes passed.

"GOT IT!" Garon exclaimed, startling everyone. He turned to Corrin. "You! You're in."

"Yay!" Corrin cheered. Iago groaned.

"But King Garooooon! She's obviously a spy! She doesn't even respect you enough to wear shoes in your presence!" Iago pointed at Corrin's feet. "C'mon! Kill her!"

"If you don't shut up, I'll kill you instead, you long-haired freak!" Garon roared. He then resumed speaking to Corrin. "Now to prove yourself, you gotta go stop the Ice Tribe from rebellin' against me- us. Understood? And do it alone! Let's make things interesting…"

All of Corrin's siblings cringed, but ultimately remained silent. Corrin herself broke the silence. "Okay… I'll go now…"

"Good… good… No traitor of Nohr shall escape justice. That fake daughter of mine wants to live so badly? Fine, but she's gonna learn what true suffering is! She won't be allowed to die until she's suffered enough! HAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Father?"

"Huh?" Garon snapped out of it. He was still in the throne room with Corrin, her siblings, and Iago. "Uh… I mean 'good luck'."

Corrin slowly bowed. "Th-thank you…" I've made a horrible mistake.

In a few days' time, Corrin found herself in the Woods of the Forlorn. It was a swampland with trees so thick, they blotted out the sun. Lanterns were placed strategically to provide lighting.

The albino princess of Nohr sat by a campfire, staring into it.

"Oh gods… Garon's even worse than I remembered while I was missing. I mean… I missed Xander and the others, but how can I possibly talk Father out of this war?!" Lilith came out of Corrin's travel sack and began to rest on her lap. Corrin smiled and pet the dragon like a cat. "Lilith, have you ever felt like you've made a horrible mistake?"

"… Yeah."

"What did you do?"

The dragon's eyes lit up. "Oh, funny story! You see, my situation was also about my evil father. I simply left him."

Corrin looked down. "Wait, what? I don't remember you ever mentioning something like that!"

"Well… you know…"

"No… No I don't."

There was a rustling sound. Then a Faceless leaped out from behind a bush. Corrin and Lilith gasped.

"Faceless?!"

"Don't worry Lady Corrin, I'll use my Astral Breath to-"

"RRRRRRGH!" The Faceless moaned in pain as its body was littered with daggers. It fell backward, and Felicia ran up to the scene.

"Don't worry Lady Corrin, I have it under control!"

Lilith pouted, and Corrin set the dragon aside, standing up. "Felicia! I'm glad you're here! But why are you here?"

"Oh! Well I was just so worried about you! Jakob was too, but it'd look bad if all your servants left. So we drew straws!"

Jakob was sweeping the floor in Castle Krakenburg.

"Blasted straw. I should've picked the one on the left, then I'd be able to save Lady Corrin from whatever's in the forest." He turned his head. "Flora, where is the tea? His Majesty specifically requested you bring him some tea!"

There was no answer.

"… Flora?"

Jakob stopped sweeping and found a note on the wall. He reached out for it and took a closer look.

Dearest Jakob,

Bye.

-Love, Flora

(P.S., tell Felicia and Lady Corrin for me?)

Jakob set the note down.

"So now I'm the only one left to serve that tyrant Garon?! … This is fine."

Felicia proudly held her fist to her chest. "I'm from the Ice Tribe, so maybe I can help you smooth things over!"

"Oh yeah, you and Flora are always talking about that! Can't believe it slipped my mind…" Corrin looked over to Lilith. "Stay behind us, Lilith. I know you never did a lot of sparring, but Felicia and I should be able to manage.

"But… my Astral Breath!"

More Faceless began to creep out of the woodwork, and Felicia grimaced. "This whole bog is filled with these monsters! Oh well. It'll be like all those times Flora and I played here as kids!"

"You threw knives at monsters as kids?"

"Uh-huh!" Felicia paused. "Well… not these monsters, at least…"

The Faceless got closer as Corrin pulled out Yato. "Well, there's a first for everything!"

As one monster came close to Corrin, she jumped away. After that, she followed with a jump-slash. Felicia kept throwing daggers over and over, hopping away whenever a Faceless would get too close. Even Lilith helped out, spitting black flames onto any Faceless that Corrin and Felicia could not counter.

This had lasted for about nine minutes, until Corrin and Felicia found themselves with their backs up against a group of trees, and Faceless still encroaching.

"Felicia I won't lie, this doesn't look good."

"Don't say that!"

"We're completely outnumbered. We'll have to think of a way to retreat."

The thundering of a rushing horse echoed through the swamp. Felicia and Corrin turned and saw a horseman riding in. He threw a javelin at the nearest Faceless to the two, and wiped sweat from his brow. The horse trotted up to the wounded monster for the knight to reclaim his weapon.

"Hi Corrin!"

"Who are you?" asked the princess.

The knight turned back and smiled. "It's me, Silas! We used to be best friends, Corrin! Remember? I visited you in the fortress sometimes! Then one time I took you out to see the world, but I got in trouble and wasn't allowed to see you again!"

"Ooh! I remember!" Felicia said. Corrin shook her head.

"I… don't."

Silas snapped his fingers. "Oh shoot." Then he looked up. "Wait, I'll jog your memory! You always hated vegetables and asked Jakob to eat them for you! One time you got really mad when Lady Camilla made cookies and you didn't get to have any! You once had a stuffed animal named Mr. Pook- EEEEE!" A Faceless had knocked Silas off his horse while he was distracted.

"Aaah! Hold on!" Corrin jumped in the way before the Faceless could attack the downed Silas, and blocked the fist with her sword. She gritted her teeth and morphed her hand into a dragon lance. Corrin then rammed it through the Faceless, and let it die before retracting. With the monster dead, Corrin turned back. "As you were saying?"

"Whoa! You can mutate your body now? Aw man, you always knew how to do cool things!" Silas stood up and dusted off his armor.

"CORRIN, SILAS!" a little girl's voice called. Everyone looked over and caught sight of Elise riding in on her horse. "Wait for me!"

"Elise!"

The princess in question smiled. "Hi Corrin! I'm helping you, no matter what Father says! He's a tease anyway!"

Silas winced. "Uh, Lady Elise, that's not the correct way to use the word. And I'm sure Effie wouldn't appreciate you using it. Were you talking to Niles again?"

Elise pouted. "I'm not talking to you, you left me behind! I had to overwork my poor horse just to keep up!"

It was time for Silas to pout, as he mounted his horse. Corrin looked over to her little sister. "Elise, are you sure about this? It's going to be dangerous."

"I know, but someone has to heal you!"

Felicia hung her head in shame. "I… coulda done that…"

"And besides! Arthur and Effie are right behind me!" She closed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Right guys?" Nothing happened. "… Any second now." Still nothing. "… Aaaaaany second now." But nobody came. "Aaaaaaaany-"

"Did somebody call for some justice?"

"Hold on, Lady Elise!"

Two newcomers had arrived, both standing to the sides of Elise's horse. One was a tough-looking man with blonde hair and a proud smile. The other was a stoic woman in bulky armor, and with messy pale hair. Corrin smiled.

"You must be Arthur and Effie. Elise has told me so much about you!"

The knightly woman looked over. "Oh, hey, 'sup." She turned back to Elise. "Lady Elise, you can't go running off like that!"

"But Silas went on without us! And you were so sloooooow!"

The blonde man, Arthur, nodded. "Alas, that would be my fault. You see, I'd been observing Effie lifting boulders. Not wanting to fall behind in my training, I went to look for more reasonably-sized objects. But then I found some quicksand, as fate would have it…" He looked off to the side. "I didn't even know there was any quicksand to be found! But fortunately, Effie only took twenty minutes to pull me out!"

"It was almost like all those boulders were practice for lifting Arthur," the knight mused. A Faceless crept up behind her. "Hold that thought." With that, the knight turned around and nailed the Faceless in the head with her lance. She turned back around. "So yeah, sorry we're late."

"That's okay, the important thing is now we can all help Corrin!" Elise turned to her big sister. "So Arthur has a strong sense of justice, but terrible luck! And Effie's super-duper strong and hungry! And those are their gimmicks!"

"Oh… Okay then. Well, let's get rid of these Faceless and then call it a day!" Corrin announced. Effie raised her eyebrow.

"Faceless what?"

"The Faceless. That's what these monsters are called."

Effie nodded. "Ah. … First I've heard that name. But it doesn't matter. Let's go, Arthur! No more holding back!"

"Indeed! I will no longer hold my back in pain, my lumbar has recovered! Thank you for thinking of me!"

Arthur ran up to a Faceless and swung an axe at it, but tripped and fell. The axe went flying and landed in a distant tree. The tree was loosened and began to fall, crushing a group of Faceless right next to Felicia.

"Hey, thanks!"

As repayment, Felicia flung a dagger across the way and hit the back of the Faceless ahead of Arthur. Corrin's dragon form ran up and knocked said Faceless away with her tail.

"Are you alright?"

"By Blabberton's beard! You're a dragon!" Arthur remembered himself. "Oh, and yes I am. Thank you, citizen!"

…

Silas was fighting off a Faceless, and won, but not without taking a nasty punch. Elise took her horse over to Silas and waved a Heal staff.

"I've got ya, Silas!"

"Phew, thanks!" Silas gave Elise a thumbs-up, but then noticed two more Faceless popping up. "Oh come on already!"

Effie ran by, picked up Elise's horse (with the girl still riding) and jogged away. "Nope! Too dangerous over here!"

"Uhh, Effie? Could you maybe help me too?"

…

Lilith flew about the trees, weaving around and luring Faceless into them. "Haha! These creatures are dumber than I remember!" She bumped into a Faceless that was waiting for her. "Oof!"

"Grrrrrr!"

"Uh-oh."

"Don't worry Lilith, I can help!" Felicia ran from nowhere to slash the Faceless, but ran into a tree. "Aaah!"

"Have no fear, Arthur is here!" Arthur came in from nowhere to chop the Faceless, but ran into a tree. "Oooooh!"

Lilith sighed and sprayed Astral Breath onto the Faceless. "AAAAAAAAR!"

Corrin dusted her palms and smiled, as all of her allies had returned from their own battles.

"Well, I'd say we've cleared out this whole swamp! Let's take a rest before heading to the Ice Tribe."

"Yeah…"

"Sure thing."

"Yooooou know it!"

"Of course!"

"Okay."

Corrin turned to Felicia. "Felicia, may I ask you to lead the way to your village when the time comes?"

"No problem, Lady Corrin!"

"Great! Come on guys, let's head over these hills to the lit area over there. Something tells me that'd be a better campsite."

Everyone began to leave, but Effie was held back by a voice.

"Effie, I could use some assistance if you don't mind."

The knight looked and found Arthur sinking into a toxic puddle. She sighed. "Again, Arthur?"

"I'm afraid so."

As Effie began to tug Arthur out of the pool, Iago stuck his head from behind a tree.

"Drat! That foul mmmmmiscreant has survived. I'll have to mmmake things even harder for her next time."

Effie looked over. "Stop talking to yourself, ya weirdo."

Iago tensed up and went back into hiding.

To be continued.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet evening when Corrin and her friends neared the Ice Tribe village.

Felicia skipped along, leading the group. Effie was dragging a completely frozen Arthur, as Elise rode her horse. Corrin had to ride behind Silas on his horse, and she was shivering. "My f-f-feet are fr-freezing!"

Silas frowned. "You never did like shoes. I don't know why you thought going to the Ice Tribe without shoes would be a good idea."

"It's S-spring! I th-thought the sn-sn-snow would've me-elted!"

"Well, it could be worse," Silas said. "You could be like Arthur."

It was unfortunate how Arthur had fallen into that hidden fjord. But if nothing else, it alerted the others to be more aware of their surroundings.

"Are you doing okay, Lady Elise?" Effie asked. The young princess nodded.

"Mm-hmm! Except the wind is picking up, I can't open my eyes!"

"I'll be your eyes, milady!" declared the knight. But the wind started blowing even harder. "Uh, or maybe I won't. Silas, be my eyes and I'll tell Lady Elise what you see!"

"Uhh, okay?" Silas squinted. "I can… barely see…" The knight started dozing off.

"Silas, stay awake!" Corrin yelled. She frowned. "Felicia, tell us we're almost there, I don't know how much more we can take!"

"WHAT?" The maid held a hand to her ear. The winds were going even faster.

"I said-"

"WHAT?"

At that point, the winds finally became too much to handle. Everyone but Felicia lost consciousness.

"Aaah! Father, stop!" Corrin shot up awake. Silas waved his arms.

"Whoa, easy Corrin! We're safe!"

Corrin looked around. She was indoors, and on a bed. Silas was standing beside her, wiping sweat from his brow.

"I was worried for a bit, there! We all fainted, but Felicia apparently found help and now we're all good. Except Arthur. Mostly." Silas pointed to the fireplace. Corrin looked over and found Arthur, still frozen, but thawing.

A man who appeared to be a sorcerer walked into the room. He had pale hair. "Welcome to my village, crazy homeless woman."

Corrin raised her eyebrow. "I… I'm not homeless."

"Okay, you're not homeless. But you must be crazy. Coming all the way to the Ice Tribe in full armor, but no shoes."

"Is everyone going to keep picking on me for that?!"

Silas looked around nervously. "Well… it is rather odd how you insist."

The sorcerer cleared his throat. "Anyway, my name is Kilma. I'm the leader of this tribe."

"I see." Corrin began to stand up. "Well my name is Corrin, and I am the-"

"She's a crazy homeless woman, just like you said!" Silas lied. Corrin glared.

"Silas!"

The knight leaned in. "Corrin, maybe it'd be better if you didn't reveal who you were. You know, since you came here to…"

"Oh…"

Kilma put a hand to his chin. "Curious… I've heard of a woman similar to you, with the same name. My daughters would send me letters."

"Uh, well… How about that?" Wait a second. We're in the Ice Tribe and he's the leader. Corrin internally gasped. Wouldn't that make him the father of-

Kilma's voice interrupted Corrin's thoughts, as he yelled into the hall. "Daughter! Quit sweeping already, you don't have to do that anymore! Come in here, I think you might recognize our guest."

The princess gulped. This could be bad.

"As you say, Father." A familiar voice, a calm and collected one, was audible. Corrin would know it anywhere. Flora walked into the room. "Huh?! Lady Corrin?!"

"Flora?!"

Silas stood there for a moment. "… Oh! Hey Flora! Long time no see!"

Flora tilted her head. "… Cyrus?"

"Oh, uh, actually my name is Silas, but yeah it's me!" The knight smiled. "How ya been?"

"Uh… Fine…" The maid turned to Kilma and hissed, "Father, why are they here?!"

The sorcerer did not bother to lower his voice. "Oh, well your sister was traveling with them, and she told me how they fainted. It seemed important. And we can't forget about the Yato she's carrying!"

"So that's why Felicia came back…" She turned to the princess. "You both came here to take me back to the castle? Is Jakob hiding behind a wall somewhere to whisk me away?" She blushed. "… Okay, if he was doing that, I wouldn't mind."

Kilma grunted in confusion, while Corrin frowned. "No, Flora, I… didn't even know you'd left. In fact, I forgot this guy was your father. Felicia was just taking us here because…" I shouldn't say we're here to suppress a rebellion. But wait, why is Flora here without permission? Is she with the rebellion maybe? I'd better be careful. "We were gonna… talk… with your father… civilly… over the idea… of maybe… not rebelling against Nohr. If it'd be convenient for you guys!" Nailed it!

Silas and Corrin exchanged a subtle high-five, ignorant of Kilma and Flora's shock.

"What?!" the chief roared. "I take you into my house and you guys already decide to have a counter-coup against my coup? You know what I say to that?"

Flora blanched. "Oh no. Father, don't-"

"Totally uncool of you guys." The daughter sighed. "Get it? Uncool?" Corrin and Silas stared in silence. "What? Don't give me the… cold shoulder!"

"Father!"

"Oh come on Flora, chill out!" Kilma jested. He chuckled at his own joke, while Flora hung her head.

"Bad enough you're making light of this situation. But those jokes of yours aren't well thawed-out." She tensed up, as Kilma smirked. "I MEANT THOUGHT-OUT! AAAH!" Flora ran into the hall. Kilma chuckled to himself as Elise walked in.

"Corrin, you're alive!" Then Elise caught sight of the man standing next to her. "Oh! Sorry Flora and Felicia's dad, but Effie kind of raided your pantry. She eats when she gets cold. And when she gets hot. And… Actually, she has a lot of reasons."

"For crying out loud. I can't af-fjord more groceries! … Get it?" Nobody laughed. "… But seriously, I hate all of you and you're ending this rebellion over my dead body."

Elise gasped. "Even me?"

"If you're working for that monster Garon, then yes! Now, everyone go outside and go to the opposite corner of this village! Then make your way back to me so we can fight!" Again, everyone greeted Kilma with silence. "Shut up, it makes sense!"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Oh now what?!"

At the front of the house, Flora answered the door. There were two men standing there, one in yellow spandex, the other in ratty old clothes. The former posed dramatically, while the latter had an eyepatch.

"Alas! I am Odin Dar-" Flora closed the door immediately. "Awww!"

Felicia came in from the hallway. "Father, who was- Flora?!"

Flora sighed. "Father told me you were here. Along with Lady Corrin and Lady Elise."

"Uh, yeah…" Felicia nervously played with the hem of her dress. "I, uh, thought you'd be back at the castle with Jakob." The younger twin paused. "Huh, I wonder what he's doing right now…"

"HEY! BUTLER! BRING ME STUFF!" Garon bellowed.

"Jakob, have you seen my tomatoes? I, uh, need them…" coughed Leo.

"Jakob," started a man with gray hair, "if I were to invite a lovely lady to tea, what cologne would you recommend?"

The butler stood completely still.

"I hate my life."

"I missed you, Flora!" Felicia chirped, but her sister was not in the mood.

"Felicia, are you and Lady Corrin really here to stop the rebellion?"

"What?" Felicia's eyes widened. "I didn't know we were rebelling! I just followed Lady Corrin here because she needed help!"

"Guys, I'm really cold," said the voice from behind the door.

"Felicia, we're not going to put up with Garon any longer! And neither should you!"

"B-but I… I didn't-"

Kilma's voice carried through the house. "ALL HAS BECOME CLEAR AS ICE!"

The sisters both shouted to the hall. "THAT'S NOT EVEN A PUN!"

Returning from their quick truce, Flora narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Felicia, didn't you ever think about why we were suddenly pulled from our lives, to serve Lady Corrin?"

"Uh… no?"

"It's because you're slaves," bluntly stated a second voice from beyond the door. "Uh, ignore me."

"Outta this house! Outta this house!" Kilma herded Corrin, Silas, Elise and Effie through the hall and into the living quarters. "And I'm keeping your frozen friend as a trophy!"

Flora sighed. "Felicia, you have to decide. Are you with Nohr, or your family?" Hearing this, Corrin shuddered.

Ahhh! Getting flashbacks to that day in the field, stop it Flora! "Chief Kilma, are you sure we can't just talk about this? I really think we can come to an understanding!" The green conqueror turned to Flora. "Flora, you know me! You know I'd much rather talk this out!"

"Yes… But do you know me?" She shut her eyes, not wishing to glare at the comparatively innocent princess. "Do you know how I've always wanted to come back home? How I've missed the Ice Tribe? How I've never liked King Garon at all?"

"To be fair," Effie interjected, "I don't think anyone likes Garon very much."

"Niles, I think my fingers have gone numb!" complained the outdoor voice.

"Well that's what you get for running around in kinky spandex all the time!"

"Go sound the alarm, Flora." Kilma ordered. He looked over and found his daughter dusting a vase in the corner. "Flora, come on, do it!"

"Oh, sorry!"

As the maid went, Kilma sighed. "She really needs to cool off on the whole maid thing."

Everyone remaining, including Felicia and the outdoor voices, all groaned. Elise was the one exception. "Heehee! Icy what you did there!"

Kilma gasped. "… There is another! You actually liked that? And made one of your own? … All right, I'll hear what your group has to say, Princess Corrin."

"Phew-"

"If you can best me and my daughter in combat. We are the second and third-most powerful warriors in the tribe."

Corrin took a deep breath. "… Okay."

Kilma called back to Flora. "Hey! Flora! Forget about the alarm, I had another idea!"

"Make up your mind, Father!"

Kilma, Flora and a few tribal soldiers stood before the house they were just in. Across the way from them were Corrin, Felicia, Silas, Elise, Effie, and the two newcomers. Felicia awkwardly waved to her family, but they just shook their heads. She retracted her arm and lowered her head in shame.

Corrin worriedly turned to Felicia. "Felicia, have I really been horrible to you and your sister? Please, go fight with them if you really want to. I understand."

"No, Lady Corrin, you've been my best friend! I couldn't!"

"But… they're your family, Felicia."

"Well… I think you're right, milady. I think we can solve this war without being cruel!" The maid clenched her hands. "And it starts here! Besides… Father actually isn't that tough. Who knows how quickly we'd lose if someone meaner than you came to stop the rebellion…" Felicia shuddered.

Corrin put her hand on Felicia's shoulder and smiled. "Let's not worry about what could've been." Then she looked down. Corrin was wearing the same black, armored shoes as both her maids, keeping her feet safe from the snow. "Thanks for lending me some shoes, by the way."

"Of course, milady! But you should really start wearing some more often. Or at least bring spares."

Silas looked over to the new arrivals. "So you must be Leo's retainers, Odin and Niles. I'm Silas." The knight offered his hand, and the eyepatch-wearing man, Niles, grinned. He tightly gripped the boy's hand and drew him uncomfortably close.

"Careful where you stick your hand, Silas. Wouldn't want to lose it, would you?"

"Um… No, I wouldn't."

"That's a good boy."

Niles let go of Silas and went about his business, Silas spoke to Odin. "So, ah, is he in a bad mood today?"

"My fateful companion in all Leo-related quests: Niles of the Dark Alleyway! He's had an unsavory life before Lord Leo graciously accepted him!"

…

Odin narrated, as scenes of Niles' childhood played out:

His past is an incredibly dark one!

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" asked young Niles.

It was uncommon for a day to go by where Niles did not have to kill…

Niles stepped on a bug.

Steal…

The boy grabbed a cookie from the jar.

And lie, just to survive!

"Niles, does this dress make me look fat?"

"No, Mother."

That was every day of his life, before Lord Leo found him.

"Hey wanna be my retainer?"

"M'kay."

…

"… And that is how Niles became Lord Leo's retainer!" Odin announced, striking a pose. "So yeah, he's a little prickly."

"Are you talking about me again, Odin?" Niles asked. Silas looked over and saw that the eyepatch was now on the other eye. "Silas, are you staring at me? At least take me out to dinner first."

"Your eyepatch… Wasn't it on the other eye?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"I'm pretty sure it was."

"ATTENTION!" Kilma called, cutting down on the chatter. "We will now begin our battle for the Ice Tribe's fate! Now, we are not savages. There are rules of engagement! Number one… No touching of the hair or face." Kilma motioned toward his own face. Everyone nodded in agreement. "And that's it."

Corrin turned to all the retainers on her side. "Uh, guys? Can I ask that we not kill the Ice Tribalists? Please?"

"Aww, poor Princess Corrin is scared of a little blood?" Niles taunted.

"That's not it. It would just undermine the whole point if we resorted to actually killing them. I want to do this with as little bloodshed as possible," the princess explained. "And if you still don't like it… just think of it as a challenge for your skills."

"Interesting… Not how Lord Leo would've done it, but he did ask that I follow your instructions." Niles moved the eyepatch to his other eye, and opened the one that was previously covered. "Fair enough."

"Aha! I saw it! You're faking an eye injury!" Silas called. Niles blushed.

"I… don't know what you mean!"

Corrin turned to Odin. "Is that clear with you too?"

"Aww! I had at least twelve cool finishing moves prepared for today! But fine, I'll use the nonlethal versions…"

"Aaand go!" Kilma called.

The two sides ran toward each other.

Effie blocked axes and lances with her shield, freeing Niles to snipe at those very same villagers. "Hey Effie, thanks for using protection."

Effie turned back. "Talk like that again, and I'll kill you myself."

…

"Aha!" Odin cheered, striking a pose. He stood beside a small castle made of ice. "Using fell cryomancy, I have constructed a snow fort! A dark snow fort! I call it… MyCastle! Enter, and find yourself distracted by all the refreshments and food inside!"

A few of the enemy combatants looked at each other and shrugged, heading into Odin's snow fort. Silas leaned his head out.

"Odin, we're already out of coleslaw!"

"Aching blood! How'd we run out so fast?!"

Elise's voice was audible from inside the fort. "Hey! Don't put your feet on the table, that's rude! No, Lilith isn't a cat, put her down! Odin, help us!"

…

While Effie was holding off troops, and Odin distracted them, the main event had yet to begin. Flora quickly whipped out a staff, freezing Corrin's body in place before she could move closer. The maid then pulled out a knife.

"I… I'm going to do it now." She gulped. "L-Lady Corrin, once I do this, it'll officially be treason."

Can't move… Not even my mouth… Oh, Flora. I don't think I could be mad with you. Or any of my friends, really, but especially not you. I wish I could tell you that. Though the ability to move again would be nice, too. Now would be a bad time for me to die.

Flora finally threw the knife, but Felicia ran up and deflected with her own. At that moment, the Freeze Staff wore off, and Corrin could move again.

"Wow! I didn't actually expect that to work," the younger maid stated.

"Felicia, don't make this harder than it already is!"

"Corrin's a good, honest person, Sister! Why won't you believe her when she says she wants to make peace?"

"Felicia, wake up!" Flora shouted. "She was never our lady! The Nohrians knew our tribe didn't like their cruelty, so they took us and made us work for Princess Corrin just to keep Father from doing anything! We were hostages and slaves! They could've had us killed at any time!"

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," Felicia stated.

The older twin glared. "Fine, ignore me like you always did!"

Corrin nodded. "Flora, please. I still remember my mother dying right in front of me. If you think I'm just trying to conquer your village, you're mistaken!" She frowned. "You've always been special to me, but I can't afford to stop now. This is your last chance before I'm forced to fight." Corrin readied Yato.

"I can't afford to stop either." Flora pulled out a second knife. She narrowed her eyes, analyzing her two opponents. Felicia gave herself precedence over Corrin, spreading her arms and holding a dagger in each hand.

The pink-haired maid spoke to her liege without looking. "Lady Corrin, I'll handle this. You need to speak with Father! … Please don't hurt him too badly!"

"You don't have to ask me twice!" Corrin ran off to find Kilma, leaving the sisters to their duel.

Flora took a breath. "I know I've never bested you, but I must try!"

"Flora…"

The blue-haired maid dashed over to her sister and began swinging her dagger. It almost resembled a dance, the way she moved. Yet despite Flora's finesse, Felicia held her off with blunt and simple blocking. Flora could not even force Felicia to step backward, the younger twin held her ground just fine.

This carried on for a few more moments, before Flora ran out of breath. She fell onto her back, in the snow. "Not… fair…" she panted.

Felicia frowned. "Most of our training sessions ended that way."

Corrin searched through the crowd for Kilma. She gasped and leapt backwards in time to avoid a crimson whirlwind. The conjurer himself glared.

"It's not very ice of you to avoid Nosferatu. … Get it?" Corrin grunted and jump-slashed Kilma. "Whoa! Chill out!" The sorcerer stepped back, and prepared another spell. "I think you need to cool off!"

"Stop using ice puns! You're as bad as that Rinkah person!" As she spoke, Corrin was hit with the spell. "Gaaah!"

"Mmm!" Kilma pat his belly. "Mind if I help myself to some of your life? My girls are my life, and you stole them from me, so I think this is fair."

"I… never… asked for that!" Corrin worked through the pain and transformed her arm into a lance, pinning Kilma to the ground by his cape. "I apologize for what happened, but I won't surrender!"

Corrin drew herself closer to Kilma and tackled him, as well as knocking Nosferatu out of his grasp. With the chief distracted, Corrin walked over and began tearing pages out of the tome. "There. No more spells for a while. You lose. Now we can talk."

"You're not killing me?"

"No! Haven't you been paying attention?!"

Elise came riding up to the scene. "Corrin, Odin's having a great party in his snow fort!"

Corrin raised her eyebrow. "He… is? Huh, I guess that'd explain where a lot of the soldiers went."

"Wait, why wasn't I invited?!" Kilma asked.

Felicia arrived, helping Flora to walk. The klutz turned to Kilma. "Father, if you went into the snow fort, you'd annoy everyone with your ice jokes!"

Flora nodded. "Yes… Please, cool it with all the ice jokes." Kilma smiled. "Shoot, I made another one!"

Corrin turned to both Elise and Felicia. "You two, I need you to go check up on the soldiers and make sure they're okay. And heal them if they're not!"

"Got it!" they said at once. This left Corrin with Flora, still tired, and Kilma, still on the ground.

"So… Can we talk?"

"Fine. What is it?" Kilma inquired. Kilma's remaining daughter went over to help him up.

Corrin looked at both of the people with her. "It's like I told Flora. My mother died, right in my arms, because of an attack from Nohr. And before that, my mentor was killed by a Nohrian thug." She shook her head. "We've done enough killing. I'm seeing to it that Nohr doesn't take any more lives, not even its own."

"Hmm. Sounds legit," Kilma said. "I guess that's why Yato chose you."

"We just happened to find it in a statue. But it did fly into my hand… But yeah, I need to prove myself to Father. Then maybe he'll listen to me and put an end to this."

Flora looked to the ground in shame. "I guess we're pretty alike."

"Oh for the love of- Are you still going on about me praising Felicia's fighting ability?!"

"Th-this isn't the time for that, Father! … And maybe."

"Flora…" Kilma placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "You need to stop comparing yourself to your sister. I'm sorry I only praised her during combat training, but do you not remember how I've always admired how calm and collected you always are? Or how we share similar interests? Or how you've always been easy to speak with?" Flora lightly blushed.

Corrin cleared her throat. "Uh, he's not wrong."

Flora sighed, and Kilma pecked her forehead. "You and Felicia are the same age. But there's a reason I chose you to succeed me. You've become a fine adult in your own right, Flora." He then turned to Corrin. "And I just met you, but you seem pretty cool yourself. Eh? Eh?" Both the young women groaned. "But, yes, I should've known you wouldn't be cruel. Sorry about that! If you really intend to stop this war, I will halt this rebellion."

The princess smiled. "Thank you! And once I manage that, I'll see to it that the Ice Tribe has nothing left to be afraid of!"

The maid nervously looked to her former liege. "Cor- Lady Corrin? I… Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"Heh! Flora, weren't you paying attention? The Ice Tribe's been wronged, I know that. It's fine. And…" She hung her head. "And if you don't want to come back with us… I understand."

"Thank you for your forgiveness." Flora bowed. "I refused before, but now I mean it- I swear to be loyal to you, Lady Corrin!"

Corrin raised her eyebrow. "You… refused?"

"Well… mostly at first…" Flora blushed. "I did grow attached to you, Jakob and the rest. But the Ice Tribe came first."

A grin formed on Kilma's face. "I think she's saying she'd like to travel with you and your company."

"Um, if you'll have me back, that is…" Flora said. Corrin flashed Flora her biggest smile all day.

"We'd love to!"

Arthur walked up to Corrin and put his hand on her shoulder. "What a glorious day! I wake up from my cryogenic slumber to find that we've all made friends! And you did it all on your own, Lady Corrin! Just as King Garon ordered!"

Corrin's heart sank. "All… on my own…"

Arthur and Flora shared a look of concern. Arthur raised his eyebrow. "Hmm? What troubles you?"

"DANG IT!"

Chapter Text

"My lands! So little Cornbread actually managed to snuff out the Ice Tribe! Guess I'll have to give her an even more agonizing mission! HEH-HEH-HEH-HEEEEEEEH." Garon cackled, leaning back on his throne.

"… Father, we can hear you," Leo said.

"What?!" Garon looked and found that Leo was indeed in his presence, in earshot no less. As were Xander, Elise, Camilla, and especially Corrin. "Who let you kids in here without mah permission?!"

"You did, father," answered Camilla.

"What?! How dare I do that without my permission?!" Garon turned to Iago. "Iago, get me mah whip, I gotta teach Garon a lesson!"

"… Really?" the mage asked.

"Don't make me repeat m'self, boy!" With that, Iago slinked away. Garon then turned his attention to Corrin. "So out with it, Cornbread. How'd the mission go?"

The albino princess smiled. "The deed was done, and nobody had to die at all!"

"Ooh." Garon stroked his beard. "You really didn't have to kill anyone? Interesting challenge. I woulda just axed them frozen hippies, but whatever works." Garon cleared his throat. "Corrin I am prr… I'm prruh… proo…"

"Proud of me?"

"Yeah that thing. You can be in the family again."

"Phew!"

Iago ran back into the room. "Can't let you do that, Corrin!"

"Just what we needed to see: Iago," Leo muttered.

"King Garon, King Garon, mmmmy sources indicate that Corrin didn't carry out her mmmmission all on her own!" Iago tattled. "She had help from a few of the servants!"

"Uuuh, no she didn't!" Xander countered. "Phew, nailed it."

Garon slapped his own face. "Gods dang it, Corn! Ya had one job!"

Iago grinned. "Oh and King Garon? It appears Link will not be available today."

"And now mah danged tennis instructor ain't showin' up! This day is ruined!"

"Perhaps you mmmmight feel better if you killed Corrin? Ah? Ah?" Iago tapped his elbow on Garon's shoulder.

Camilla narrowed her one visible eye. "Iago, that's your answer to everything!" She looked down to Elise. "Literally everything."

"This soup is too hot, why don't we kill Corrin? My masseuse is late, better kill Corrin. I'm bored, we should kill Corrin," Leo mocked. "He's like Peri, if she were a creepy old guy."

"Please leave Peri out of this," Xander asked.

Corrin looked around nervously. "In my defense, I interpreted 'do it alone' as more of a… suggestion. Next time I'll know!"

"You think there's a next time?! Shoot, Corncob, y'all think yer gettin' away with yer life?!"

Would he just pick a name and stick with it?! Corrin fought to hide her annoyance. "… Yes."

All her siblings, even Elise, sighed at Corrin's pathetic counter.

"… Yer kinda blunt, kid. I respect that." All the siblings immediately gasped. "Okay, yer good. But I'm givin' you a new mission! Go take over Notre Sagesse! Some old guy lives there, find him!"

"… Alone?" Corrin asked.

"No point, you'll just run into some other quirky characters on the way anyhow! Just go!"

"But King Garon, I wanted you to kill Corrin!"

Garon glared at Iago. "And I wanted Corrin to stop the Ice Tribe on her own! But we don't get what we want in life, do we Iago?!"

Elise frowned. "Why do you hate Corrin so much, Iago?"

Iago stared blankly at Elise. "… King Garon, who's this kid with the baguettes in her hair? I don't remember her."

Garon grunted. "Oh, her? That's…" He looked at his hand, and saw a bunch of smudged names. "… Elton. Yeah, that's her name."

"Elise," Leo coughed.

"You be quiet, Logan!" Garon snapped. He turned to Corrin. "And why are ya still here, Corrin?! Get to Notre Sagesse already!"

Corrin and her siblings stood together by a grand staircase. "Well… guess we're going to Notre Sagesse."

"And I'm coming with you!" a familiar voice called. Everyone turned to find Jakob walking down the stairs, wearing a large pack of supplies on his back. "I am not leaving you to Felicia's mercy while I do more chores for these buffoons!"

Corrin smiled. "Jakob! Glad to have you along! Oh, by the way, Felicia and I ran into Flora, she's going to be traveling with us now too. So we'll all be together again!"

"Eh? Well, at least that little mystery has been solved."

"Do be careful, Little Princess."

Camilla pouted. "Oh, our little Corrin is growing up, and I don't even get to come along on her journey."

"That reminds me," Leo started, "Niles and Odin will be leaving with you. Someone has to keep an eye on all of you. Jakob and Flora can only do so much."

"Hey, I'll be there too!" proclaimed Elise. "I can keep an eye on Big Sister!"

"Exactly my point," Leo said with a grin.

"Rude! Leo, you're a butt!"

"A butt, as in the butt of a crossbow? In that case, you must be the launching mechanism. Because you're always shooting off that mouth of yours."

"Leo your insults are too hard!" Elise whined.

"Well maybe you're just too immature to understand them."

"You're a butt! … Again."

Corrin sighed. Suddenly I'm glad only Elise is going with me, and not Elise and Leo together.

"So anyway," Xander caught everyone's attention, "Father wanted you to find someone in Notre Sagesse, if you could hear through his accent. This man is called the Rainbow Sage. You'll probably have to go through some trial for him. But if you do, he might just give you a divine power boost. Pretty neat, right?"

Camilla sighed. "Xander, you're really going to brag about this to everyone, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked. The elder sister brushed some hair out of her own face.

"Xander once visited-"

"I visited the Rainbow Sage and because of his gift, I am unbelievably strong."

"I don't believe it!"

"Exactly!" Xander said, pointing to Corrin.

"Wow, you're right!"

Xander spoke again. "Oh, Father also visited the sage, by the way. A long time ago…" He sighed wistfully. "Back when he was… Well, that's not important now."

Corrin looked over to Jakob. "Wouldn't it be cool if the sage gave all of us unbelievable power?"

"Meh."

Thus Corrin, Elise, and all their servants set out for Notre Sagesse. They would have to leave from Port Dia to reach the sage. And before they could arrive at Dia, they would have to pass through Fort Dragonfall.

"I present, Fort Dragonfall." Flora gave a light bow.

"Hey, we all did the work in getting here," Effie said. "So y'know. Get wrecked."

"This is really our best path to Dia?" Corrin asked. Jakob nodded.

"I am afraid so, milady."

"Huh. It kind of looks like a dragon."

Elise smiled. "That's because it is! Fort Dragonfall is a giant fortress made out of an ancient, dead dragon! Pretty edgy, right?"

Odin stared in awe at the fortress. "I… I think I'm in love! I must be buried here when I shed the mortal coil!"

Silas stared forlornly at the fort. "Unfortunately, it's been occupied by Hoshidans."

"What? Since when?!" Corrin asked. "Great. I guess we'll have to fight, then."

"Why fight when you can spend money?" asked a new voice. Everyone looked over to find an outlaw with red hair fashioned in a ponytail. "… It was just an idea."

"Greetings, criminal!" Arthur bellowed. "Who might you be?"

"Hey! I'm not criminal! I'm a merchant!"

"Merchant of stolen goods?" asked Arthur.

"No! Just a regular merchant! The name's Anna! I'm the Secret Seller!"

Flora leaned toward Felicia and whispered, "Not much of a secret if she tells us about it."

"I heard that, Cordelia 2.0!" Anna snapped her finger at Flora. "But hey my sister joined in the last game, and it sold like crazy! I bet I could do more by joining the party in this one too!"

Elise scratched her head. "What are you talking about? We're not playing a game, we're getting through this fortress!" She covered her mouth. "Oh, I shouldn't have said that, you could be with the Hoshidans!"

Effie pulled out a lance. "Guess we'll have to take care of her."

"Whoa, easy, guys! I don't mean you're playing a game! It's… well, never mind. How's about I join you guys?"

"… Why?" asked Corrin.

"Duh, screen time!"

"You're screening us? What for?" Silas asked. Anna sighed while Corrin shook her head.

"Look, if you're willing to cooperate with us, and you can hold your own in a fight, I'll let you come along with us."

"Great! It just so happens you barely get any archers in this route, so it'll be perfect!"

"… I'm right here," Niles commented.

Inside the fortress, Azura was there. She was sitting on the ground next to a very young woman with black hair and a black swimsuit and cape. Azura looked at her.

"So… You just come in from the public pool?"

"This is traditional Dark Mage attire."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Neither does that overdesigned dress, tights that only cover one leg, and lack of shoes."

Azura nodded. "Fair point. So what are you in for? I was taken here by Hoshidans after they kidnapped me from Castle Shirasagi. I think they were paranoid after Princess Kamui joined with Nohr."

"I'm Nyx and I just kind of walked in here."

"Oh." Azura looked over and saw a glowing patch on the ground. "Oh. That looks like a Dragon Vein. I bet I could use it to get past the guards."

Nyx was reading a book. "… Wait, I didn't know seahorses did that! How strange…"

Right in the main hall of the fortress, Corrin's group had found company.

"Whoa, Nohrians!" a lancer called. He turned to his colleagues. "All right, like we rehearsed!"

A team of lancers and archers ran toward Corrin and her team. Niles turned to Corrin.

"So we can kill these ones, right?"

"Hmm. I'd rather we didn't, but… Oh, I have an idea. We have a prison in Castle Krakenburg, why not capture them?"

Niles wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Oooh Lady Corrin, how sadistic!"

With that, the battle began.

Nearby, Effie was jogging circles around Elise, casually deflecting arrows. "Woo! This is a great workout!"

"Heehee! They can't even hit me!"

"But I can!" screamed one of the lancers. He made a beeline for Elise, twirling his weapon.

"ELDRITCH SMACKDOWN!" The lancer burst into flames.

"AAAAAH!"

"Whoops," Odin winced. "Wrong spell."

Felicia ran up to the man with her hands glowing white, but tripped and accidentally sent her ice spell onto the floor. Flora sighed and applied the ice spell properly, freezing the soldier in a block of ice. At the time, Effie was still jogging. She slipped on the ice and went sliding across the floor.

"Whoa, incoming!" the knight called. She slammed into a team of archers, knocking all but one over.

/

"Aw, not a spare!" the knight complained.

In another area of the chamber, Silas was having trouble fighting off one of the lancers.

"Take that, I have a naginata! That beats swords!"

Arthur whacked the soldier with an axe. "Ah, but I have an axe!" A samurai ran in from another room and cut Arthur. "Dwooooh!"

"It is I, Samurai! Formerly stationed at Bottomless Canyon! And Samurai has a sword, allowing him to best the fighter's axe!"

The lancer and Arthur both got back up, as Silas awkwardly scratched his neck. "Uh, well I have a lance in addition to my sword. So I could probably beat you, Samurai."

Silas, the lancer, Arthur, and Samurai all stared at each other for a moment. Then the lancer broke the silence. "… We appear to be evenly matched."

"Looks like it."

"Indeed!"

"Samurai agrees with this notion."

Lastly, Corrin was in her dragon form, knocking away any archers giving her trouble.

"Sorry! Sorry! Coming through!"

Anna watched with interest. "Ooh, so she really can turn into a dragon! I wonder if I could make some cash having her give rides to children…"

Niles looked over from sniping some distant soldiers. "Ooh, Lady Corrin's giving rides? Don't mind if I do…"

Jakob glared at the outlaws. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you both to stop thinking of ways to exploit Lady Corrin."

"Hmph! I liked you better when you were Frederick!" Anna pouted, crossing her arms. Then, enemy reinforcements arrived, surrounding Anna, Niles and Jakob. "And it just keeps getting better! Reinforcements! They'd at least better give us some EXP!"

Before anything else could happen, all the Hoshidans caught fire. Niles narrowed his eye. "Odin? Did you do that?"

"I'd recognize this type of spontaneous combustion anywhere," Jakob said.

Anna chuckled. "Of course you would…"

"This must be the work of a Dragon Vein. Our lady watches over us."

Corrin walked up to the butler, back in human form. "Actually that wasn't me. Maybe someone else here can use Dragon's Vein? But… who?"

Niles shrugged. "Guess it was Lady Elise. She's a fast learner. Like that time I told her where babies come from."

"You did what?!" Jakob and Corrin repeated.

…

Elise walked up to Niles. "Hey Niles, where do babies come from?"

"Pregnant ladies."

"Oh okay, thanks!"

"Yep."

…

"Hey, someone had to tell her!" Niles defended.

Elise rode up to the group on her horse, followed by Effie. "Hey Corrin! Thanks for using Dragon's Vein, Effie was almost about to break a sweat!"

"That wasn't me. But if it wasn't you, then… who else could it be? Xander, Camilla and Leo are all on other assignments…"

Azura was sneaking through the halls, followed by Nyx.

"Is there any reason you're following me?"

"Hey I just happen to be going in the same direction as you."

"HALT!"

A lancer clad in green, instead of the usual yellow, had stepped out from the bathroom. Azura narrowed her eyes. "Haitaka… What do you want with me now?"

"You're not leaving, traitor!"

"Did you forget about the part where I didn't even do anything? And then you just kidnapped me?"

"You were gonna!"

"There's no evidence."

"I, uh, had Orochi divine it for me! Yeah, that's it," Haitaka lied. Azura folded her arms.

"… No you didn't."

"No I didn't."

Nyx sighed, looking up from the book she was reading. "Well, not that this lovers' quarrel isn't fascinating, but I think I'll just be on my way."

"Whoa, there's a Nohrian mage in our new fortress? We can't have that!"

"I just walked in and nobody stopped me. Probably because I look so young."

Haitaka growled and tightened his grip on the naginata he carried. "I'm going to have to have a talk with those guards!"

"That's going to be difficult, because I used a Dragon's Vein to knock them out," Azura said smugly.

"What?! You attacked my men? That makes you a traitor! See?"

Azura palmed her face. "I only did it to escape, because you were keeping me prisoner and kidnapped me from Hoshido against my will. You started it."

The blade of Haitaka's naginata was pointed at Azura's throat. "Well now I'm going to finish it!"

"O-okay, take it easy Haitaka." The singer glanced over to Nyx. "Nyx, a little help?"

The small mage was reading her book again. "Whoa, I didn't know that about whales…"

A pair of archers ran up some stairs, into the room, and Haitaka glared. "Just where were you two?!"

"Uh… the basement," answered one archer.

The other archer nodded. "We were playing Einherjar Go, and it told us there was a Marth in the basement!"

"Well while you're capturing phantom soldiers, I'm busy trying to capture our prisoner! Take her back to the holding room before I report you back to Yukimura!"

"I'm free to go, right?" Nyx asked.

"Yeah, no. No Nohrians allowed in our fort!"

"… So I'm free to leave, then. As I asked. Since then I wouldn't be in the fort anymore."

"Nope, gotta kill ya," Haitaka readied his naginata.

Nyx sighed and put away her book, replacing it with a magic tome. "Well then…"

As everyone helped Niles with tying up the soldiers in the great hall, there was a violent quake, knocking everyone down.

"What was that?!" Anna cried.

Flora, already standing up again, put a finger to her chin. "Hmm, I hope it wasn't too messy."

"Flora, you don't work here, we don't have to clean it," Felicia told her.

"W-well it'd be rude to just pass through here and leave it messier than when we came…"

Then Azura and Nyx ran into the great hall, down some stairs. Corrin gasped.

"Azura?!"

"Kam- I mean, Corrin?!"

"How'd you get here?!" asked the albino princess.

"No talk time, running away!"

"I'm just kind of here," Nyx added.

A partially-burnt Haitaka was following shortly behind the two women. "GET BACK HERE, TRAITOR!"

"Azura, what is he talking about?"

The blue-haired woman sighed. "Look, I'm not blaming you, but… ever since you left, nobody outside the royal family really trusts me anymore. To the point where that guy and his troops kidnapped me. They brought me here, to Nohr, and conquered this fortress."

"Not much to conquer," Nyx commented. "This place is normally empty."

"Azura… I can help you, but you'd probably be seen as an official enemy of Hoshido once I do."

Azura shrugged. "Well technically I already am, since I used that Dragon's Vein to take out most of the soldiers. Besides… I think I'd like to travel with you."

"Well in that case…" Corrin walked over to the stairs and pointed her blade in Haitaka's direction.

"Corrin!" Silas called out, "Naginatas beat swords! That's what that one guy told me! So, you know, watch out for that!"

"That's right, foolish traitor!" Haitaka twirled his naginata for dramatic effect, impressing only Odin. "You will regret coming here!"

"Hmph! You won't stop me!" Corrin immediately ran up the stairs. Haitaka came at her with the naginata, but Corrin's left arm transfigured into a giant dragon mouth.

"WHAT?!"

Haitaka held up his weapon to block, but that was what Corrin wanted. Her mouth-hand clamped down on the weapon, crushing it to pieces.

"No… No, stay back!" Haitaka took a few steps back, as Corrin ran up and swung Yato, upward, across his torso. "Aaaaah!"

Haitaka fell back in pain, as his outer armor shattered. The princess wiped sweat from her brow. "Good."

Niles whistled to himself as he waltzed up the stairs and began to bind Haitaka with rope. Azura followed him, clapping her hands. "That was pretty good, Corrin."

"Azura, I apologize for causing everyone in Hoshido to doubt you."

At the bottom of the stairs, Anna waved her hand. "Psssh! She has to side with you in all the routes anyway, it's fine!"

"What are you on about now?" Jakob demanded.

Back at the top, Azura shrugged. "But anyway yeah. I told you I'd like to travel with you. You did save my life, and all that."

"Well, can you fight?" Corrin's face went blank. "Wait…" She looked down the stairs. "Anna, can you even fight? You told us you were an archer, but you didn't lift a finger back there!"

"Uh… Sure I did! You just… weren't looking. None of you were." She privately pumped her fist. "Nailed it!"

"Anyway…" Azura brought Corrin's attention back to her, "I can… sort of use a naginata. My real specialty is singing. It will rejuvenate soldiers and allow them to do even more things in the same amount of time."

Corrin nodded. "All right, that sounds neat."

"What about you?" Silas asked Nyx. "Do you want to go with us? We're going to Notre Sagesse?"

The mage raised her eyebrow. "As in, the Rainbow Sage's shrine? ... You know what, sure, I'll go with you."

Elise, Arthur and Effie began heading up the stairs, and the princess spoke. "Hey Corrin! Jakob and the maids are putting the tied-up guys out by the road. The trash guys will pick them up on Monday. Who are you talking to?"

"Oh. Elise, this is Azura. You know how I was born in Hoshido, but raised in Nohr? She's the opposite. But now she's traveling with us because Hoshido doesn't want her anymore. Apparently she's the missing princess."

Elise gasped. "Wow! I have another sister!"

"Um, technically I'm not actually-"

"Whee! This'll be so much fun! We can have a tea party later! You can have Arthur's seat!"

Arthur frowned. "B-but I want tea…"

Effie shrugged. "Eh. Elise's tea is a little sugary for my tastes. You can have my spot, Arthur."

Niles finally finished tying up Haitaka. "And what do we do with this guy?"

Corrin nodded. "I like the cut of his jib. I think we can convince him to fight with us."

"Never!" Haitaka roared. Elise wagged her finger.

"Nuh-uh-uh! Keep that attitude and you won't get to go to my tea party!"

Haitaka gasped.

Arthur held his axe up heroically. "Then let us away, my friends! We shall leave this dank fortress and head to Port Dia!"

Niles chuckled. "Heh. Dank."

Chapter Text

It was a lovely, if foggy, morning in the port town of Dia.

Elise chatted Effie and Azura's ears off about trivial matters, while Odin kept failing to impress Nyx with magic. Arthur kept making messes with his bad luck, and Flora compulsively tried to clean them, to Felicia's dismay. Meanwhile Niles took Haitaka into an alleyway to practice his archery. With Haitaka as the target. All in all, a fairly pleasant day for Corrin's troops.

"… Where'd you get the pants?" Silas asked.

Corrin looked down at her legs. She now had black tights under her armor. "Anna said they'd protect my legs, look slimming, and be fashionable."

"Do you feel protected, slimmer, and/or fashionable?"

"Not really sure. What do you think, Lilith? You've been pretty quiet lately."

Lilith was floating in the air beside Corrin. "It's… it's Effie, Lady Corrin. Whenever she's around, I'm worried she'll eat me!"

"Oh, she wouldn't do that," Silas reassured. But then he faltered. "At least, I think not…" The knight pondered this for a while. "...What are we doing in town again? Weren't we going somewhere?"

Corrin nodded. "We were, but the ferries aren't running today."

"That's because of the Hoshidans," Lilith explained.

"What?!"

Lilith nodded. "The ferries are down because there've been sightings of Hoshidans nearby."

"It's only Haitaka, and we have him tied up, it should be fine!" Corrin said.

Jakob ran up to the group. "Everyone, we have a problem! A fleet of Hoshidan ships are headed this way! And unless my telescope fails me, one of the princes is onboard!"

Corrin and Silas gasped, but for different reasons.

"A prince?!"

"You have a telescope?!"

Jakob nodded. "Yes, to both. What shall we do, milady?"

Corrin took some time to think about it.

"Well… I knew this day would come eventually. I think we have no choice but to face the Hoshidans. And then the ferries might run again, and we can go to Notre Sagesse as Father wished."

Jakob shuddered. "Knowing Garon, this was probably a plan of his to get you in the right time and the right place to get attacked by Hoshidans."

"Jakob!" Corrin glared at her butler. "That is not… That only might be true!"

"Well anyway, we should probably think of a plan," Silas suggested. Corrin nodded in agreement.

"Good idea. Well, we need to protect this town, right? So it'd be best to keep the fighting limited to the harbor. We'll have to block off access to the rest of the town to minimize damage." The princess turned to Jakob again. "Jakob, go gather the others and tell them we're going to be playing defense today!"

"All is for milady," he said with a bow. Jakob promptly ran off.

Corrin sighed. "I wonder which of my brothers it will be. Or if he's even alone."

"Oh no! Corrin, they're already here!" Silas warned. Corrin gasped and saw a Hoshidan ship anchoring at a far dock. "I must say, that was very fast!"

A group of Hoshidan soldiers stepped off the ship, followed by the commander himself- Takumi. The boy caught sight of Corrin on the far end of the harbor and glared.

"You!" Takumi reached for Fujin Yumi. "I've been waiting for this! I told everyone you'd betray us! But did they listen? Nooooo! Well you know what I think?!"

Corrin cupped her hands over her mouth. "WHAT?"

"I think my sister died in Cheve all those years ago! You're just a shameful imitation!"

"WHAT?"

"You heard me!" Takumi called.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY!"

Takumi stopped for a moment. "… Ugh! I should've known!" He looked around. "Well? What are you guys waiting for?! Go! We have eleven hours before Ryoma returns from Notre Sagesse, we can't have the town under Nohrian control when he shows up!"

The soldiers let out a battle cry and ran past Takumi. Corrin and Silas winced, while Lilith went into hiding. As Jakob and the others arrived, Silas wiped some sweat forming on his brow.

"This will be tricky…"

"Don't worry, Silas, I'm sure it'll be fine!"

"THIS IS AWFUL!" Corrin screamed, as her dragon tail knocked a few soldiers away. "Why are there so many of them?!"

Anna gritted her teeth, as she assisted the maid sisters in holding off the eastern flank. "Geez, defense maps are hard!" The merchant turned her gaze to Flora. "Say, now'd be a good time to whip out that flail of yours!"

"What?" Flora nearly avoided getting stabbed by a lancer. "Ack! Shoo!" She quickly froze him solid and pushed him into the water. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah your demon flail or whatever!"

"What are you talking about?!"

Anna next turned to Felicia. "And you could be using your wind powers!"

"You mean my ice powers? I have been!"

Anna sighed. "I wonder if I can talk Jakob into killing himself so he can reset time to before this invasion happened…"

"What?!" both the maids cried at once. Flora glared.

"How could you ask Jakob to do something so horrible?!"

Anna waved her hand. "Oh it'd be fine, he'd respawn to an earlier point just peachy! Probably shortly after we left that fort- OOF!" Anna got knocked over by an enemy Pegasus flying past.

Flora gasped. "If just one Hoshidan breaks the line, we'll lose control of the battlefield! Freeze!" Without even communicating with one another, Flora and her twin sprayed a cold mist toward the Sky Knight, distracting them enough for Silas to run in and knock the soldier off with a javelin.

"Go on, get out of here, shoo!" the knight ordered, waving his hands. As the disgruntled Hoshidan left, Felicia smiled.

"Wow Silas, that was amazing!"

"Oh that was nothing, just helping my friends!" Silas looked over at Flora. "Speaking of friends… Flora, I heard rumors that Corrin has an eight-pack of muscles. I heard that she's shredded!"

The blue-haired woman raised her eyebrow. "… Okay?"

"Just… thought I'd tell you." Silas awkwardly rode the horse away. He privately pumped his fist. "Nailed it!"

"Take this." Nyx casually threw a fireball at the Fire Orb with a flick of her wrist. The spell magnified and flew onto the invading soldiers.

"NOW TAKE THIS!" Odin dramatically threw a fireball at the Fire Orb with a shove of his palm. The spell magnified and flew onto the invading soldiers.

"Blah."

"HA!"

"Fire."

"UNQUENCHABLE BLOOD FLAMES!"

"Lightning."

"INFINITE VOLTS OF AGONY!"

Nyx faced her boisterous ally. "Are you trying to outdo me, Odin?"

"What? I would never! But I must say, I would have hoped your magic would have more… oomph, you know?" Odin frowned. "Since you're so cool! I know about your tragic past, and I find myself with festering envy! It howls, Nyx! It howls!"

The small mage glared. "You… are jealous of my dark past?"

"Yea verily!" Odin looked away wistfully. "My history contains naught but a fell dragon of destruction, and endless legions of zombies. Day in and day out." Odin scratched his neck awkwardly. "Let me tell you, Nyx. Many who clamor for the zombie apocalypse know not the monotony it would be."

"... What are you talking about?"

"My tragic backstory, of course!" Then Odin's eyes went wide. "Oh! But, uh, don't tell anyone! In fact, forget we had this conversation!"

Nyx scoffed. "Way ahead of you…" She sighed. "Well at least, you're not as bad as your colleague. That raunchy child. I had to curse his mouth shut after the things he said."

Odin raised his eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

"…!" Niles nearly taunted, as he nailed a Sky Knight with one of his arrows. He somewhat chuckled until an Oni ran up and whacked him with a club. "…?!" The outlaw fell onto his back, as the Oni Savage then knelt down and started bludgeoning him with that club.

"Now you'll get yours, scum!"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Jakob said. He ran up and threw a dagger, and it hit the Oni right in the wrist, and while he was distracted in pain, Niles regained his bearings and kicked the Oni in the leg, managing to knock him into the water below.

Niles tried to get up, but winced in pain and stayed on the ground. Jakob approached, with his Mend staff. "Oh. It appears you're injured. Very well, tell me where you hurt and I shall heal you."

The outlaw tried to speak, but remembered that he could not. With a silent growl, he tried to move his arms to point, but they hurt too much. Niles shut his eyes tightly, but Jakob did not seem to understand.

"Niles, I cannot heal you efficiently unless I know where your wounds are at their worst. It is not as simple as just waving the staff." Niles sighed and tried to move his arm, but gasped from the intense pain. Jakob rolled his eyes. "Are you even that badly injured, Niles? We're at the front lines, I wish you would take this seriously."

The wounded man rued the day he had crossed the mighty Nyx.

"Aaah! Stay away, I don't know magic!" Elise whined, her horse backing away from oncoming enemies. Azura was with her, gulping.

"Yeah… this actually doesn't look good."

"I'm scared, New Sister!"

"My name is still Azura."

"I wish Camilla was here!"

"ELISE, HANG ON, I'M HERE!" echoed Camilla's familiar voice. The little princess gasped.

"Whoa! I could actually hear Camilla's voice!"

"Hmm…" Azura turned around just in time to see two wyverns flying in, with their mounts. "We've got company."

In came the dragons. One carried Camilla, whom swooped in and struck the Hoshidans with her axe. The other wyvern carried a smaller woman with powder blue hair and a bandanna. She had an axe of her own, and held it tightly, eyes scanning the area for any more Hoshidans. At that point, Camilla hopped off her wyvern and ran up to Elise.

"Oh my poor baby Elise, did these savages hurt you in any way? Just show me where they are, I'll kill them all for you!"

"Heehee, I missed you Camilla!" The little girl dismounted her horse and embraced Camilla. "So much happened since we left! I even have a new big sister! Her name is Aqua!"

"Azura," corrected said sister. This earned her Camilla's attention.

"Oh? And how might you know Elise?"

"Oh it's a weird story, I was held prisoner in Fort Dragonfall. Before that, I was a hostage-slash-princess in Hoshido, after being kidnapped from Nohr a long time ago."

Camilla gasped. "So that means… you're the princess we've lost!"

"Pretty much."

Corrin's dragon form galloped over to Elise and transformed back into a human, with Corrin leaning onto her knees and panting. "Too… many… enemies…"

"Corrin!"

The half-dragon looked up. "Camilla?"

Then suddenly, yet another woman ran up to the scene, just as exhausted as Corrin. She had red hair, with very long twintails. "Hey… wait for me… jerks! I don't have a wyvern… like you two!"

Camilla gave an awkward grin. "Oh, sorry dear Selena. But I just had to know how my sisters were faring."

The wyvern carrying the bandana-wearing woman came over to meet everyone, and its rider spoke in a monotonous, yet high-pitched voice. "Lady Camilla, I have eliminated nearby threats." Camilla gave her a more sincere smile than the one she flashed Selena.

"Thank you, Beruka."

Elise turned to Corrin. "So Corrin, the one with blue hair is Beruka! She's quiet and used to be an assassin! The one with red hair is Selena, and she's a Sunday Ray!"

Corrin tilted her head. "What?"

"I dunno, but if she says she doesn't like you or anything, just roll with it!"

Selena glared. "Uh, hello! I'm right here! Gawds…" Then she cleared her throat. "Uh. Anyway, Lady Camilla was worried about you, Ladies Corrin and Elise. We're helping you now. Guess she just couldn't stay way. And I followed her! Aren't I so loyal?"

"…" Beruka seemed as though she were saying something, but Camilla frowned.

"Beruka dear, I don't speak ninja language. Do use your words."

"Oh." Beruka looked over. "I think we should strike the enemy commander."

Corrin winced. "Uh… yeah… He's an archer, so I'd watch out for his arrows. But if you do face him… can you maybe go easy on him?"

"I don't know what that means," Beruka said. Corrin sighed.

"Just try not to kill him."

"… Not kill someone? I'm lost." Beruka was beginning to annoy Corrin.

Azura stepped forward. "Just… hold back a little when you fight. Corrin still feels a little attached to him. He used to be one of her brothers in Hoshido."

Now Camilla was getting upset. "Corrin, you know I don't like it when you pretend those Hoshidans are your family."

"But… they technically-"

"We'll try not to get carried away, but only because you asked," Camilla said. "But if he so much as harms a hair on your head, Elise's head, or my retainers' heads, I can keep no promises."

"What about Azura's head?" Elise asked.

Elise went unanswered, as Camilla returned to her wyvern and flew off, with Beruka following. Selena scowled. "Gawds, at least let me catch up!"

Effie was going around houses, shepherding villagers past the defense line, and away from battle, when a voice called out to her.

"Hold it right there!"

"Eh?"

The knight turned around and saw a samurai with a messy, brown ponytail. He held his katana and had a confident smirk. "… You wouldn't mind letting me through with the villagers, right?"

"Yeah, how about no." Effie readied a lance. "You gotta leave, pal."

"All right, so much for doing it the easy way." The samurai drew his sword. "I'm Hinata, Lord Takumi's bro! And I don't mean like Lord Ryoma, just that we're real tight, ya know?"

"… I think so." Effie squinted. "You know, in just the right light, your voice kinda reminds me of Arthur."

Hinata grunted. "Huh? I don't get it, what does light have to do with voices? But now that you mention it, you kinda sound like Oboro. Weird. I guess we were destined to fight, huh? Let's get wild!"

"Sure, I'm game."

Hinata ran toward Effie, but she took a defensive stance, and stuck out her lance, clashing with the katana from a distance. "Whoa-ho! You even use the same weapon as her! Kinda." He stepped back and rolled his shoulder. "All right, here I come! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!" The samurai crouched down, but then shot forward and swung his sword, taking Effie by surprise.

"Whoa!" She looked down to her lance and shield. The weapon was cleaved in half, while the shield had a large gash in it. "You busted my equipment."

"Ha! And that's why I'm- Wah!" Effie grabbed Hinata and carried him overhead. "Hey, what're you doing?!"

"Well it's something I see Jakob doing a lot: taking out the trash." She carried Hinata all the way to a dock and threw him into the water.

"No, I'm bio-degradable, throw me onto the grass! I like grass!"

Sploosh

Arthur ran around, his torso stuck in a barrel. "What rotten luck! Of all the times for a bar fight, it had to be when I was evacuating the patrons. Ah, but I am used to it by now." The hero then took notice of a blue-haired woman with a naginata, facing him, as soldiers ran past both him and her. Arthur grimaced. "Hmm, something tells me you're not going to be very agreeable."

"You're gonna need stitches, pal!"

"… Oh dear."

Arthur flinched as the lancer swung her weapon. But as it turned out, her attack merely cut the barrel, freeing Arthur's arms. The hero himself noticed this. "Ohoho! Lady Luck smiles on me yet!" The hero readied an axe. "All right, fiend! I will have you know that I am not afraid to hit a woman!"

The lancer glared at Arthur, but it was no ordinary glare- the sheer malice was palpable, and Arthur could even swear her face had taken on dramatic lighting. "Yeah you don't have to tell me! I know you Nohrians will kill anyone if it's convenient enough!"

"Um…"

"I've been training for this, and that's how I'm Lord Takumi's most trusted retainer. So I'm going to have to get rid of you." Her face then softened. "Nothing personal, though."

Arthur put a hand to his chin. "Hmm, your voice vaguely reminds me of Effie. Do you know her perchance?" The lancer swung her weapon, forcing Arthur to jump back. "Aaah! Poor timing on my part! HYA!"

The fighter chucked a hand axe, forcing his opponent to block. With her distracted, Arthur dived forward and grabbed the woman by her waist. "Huh?! Let go of me!" He swung her around and threw her into the water.

"Apologies, but no one may get in the way of justice!"

"Nohrian princess… just like Kamui…" Takumi said bitterly, as Camilla and her team approached. "Time for my secret weapon!"

The prince took a few steps back and knelt down, touching his hand to the Dragon's Vein nearby. The air suddenly became much warmer, as the water began to evaporate. Steam filled the air, as the harbor dried and Takumi groaned.

"Aaah, I can't see! Now I can't get a clear shot at the wyverns! I didn't think this through!"

"I'll say! Marzia, if you would?" asked a sultry voice. Takumi winced and found himself face to face with a zombie wyvern. He was knocked down with a headbutt. "My precious Corrin requested we not play too rough. But don't tempt me…!"

Takumi growled. "Corrin this, Corrin that! I've had enough of her! She's supposed to be Kamui! She was supposed to be my family, not yours!"

The Nohrian princess rolled her eyes. "Oh boohoo."

"… Fine! You can have her! You all get to die together!" Takumi growled through his teeth as he aimed Fujin Yumi at Camilla, but a shrill voice broke his concentration.

"YAAAAA-"

"Wait, what's-" Takumi looked up and saw another wyvern flying overhead, but with Selena jumping off… heading right for him. "Oh da- AAAH!"

"Urgh! Rough landing…" Selena moaned. She had landed right on Takumi. Quickly getting her bearings back, she stood back up, but kept one foot rested on the prince. "There! You stay put for a while… baka."

"That's our word, you can't use it!" the prince protested.

Selena looked over her shoulder. "Did you see that, Lady Camilla? I was way cooler than Beruka, don't you think?"

Camilla smiled awkwardly.

Not long after the commander's defeat, the rest of the Hoshidan troops had come to know loss. Corrin had found another Dragon's Vein and restored the harbor's water, while Hinata and Oboro rounded up the defeated troops and herded them back to their ships.

Corrin, Azura, Camilla, and Elise stood before Takumi, as the disgruntled prince limped away.

"Lousy Nohrians… ruin everything!" He looked over to find Corrin giving him a look of regret. "Don't you pity me, Kamui! You don't have the right! And I see you too, Azura! Once a Nohrian, always a Nohrian, am I right?!"

Azura looked away. "I…"

"Save it. Hmph. In fact, why don't you both tell Ryoma all about it? Because while we were battling, he went off to see the Rainbow Sage! And Hinoka came too! I bet Ryoma's way powerful now! He's gonna destroy you all!"

Camilla stroked her wyvern's chin. "My, my Marzia. Isn't this such an obnoxious young boy? Would you like to eat him?"

The dragon roared, and Corrin looked over. "Uh, no, let's not eat him! Please!" Corrin looked over. "Takumi, just… if you leave now, all your forces will be spared, and we won't do anything else."

Takumi's scowl only deepened. "Oh, oh! Now you're going to stop ruining our lives!" He looked at the ground. "Heh. Yeah, okay. No, you couldn't stop before… before you killed Mother, or those townspeople! Or even when you broke our sister's hearts and humiliated all of us at the border! You couldn't stop before you even reentered our lives, and ruined what we had! No, you had to twist the knife a little more first!"

"Taku-"

"GAAAH!" The prince clutched his head. "Lousy headache…! I hope you regret this every day, Kamui! You don't deserve happiness!" The boy limped away, helped along by a few of the straggling Hoshidans.

Corrin frowned. "… He's hurt. And it's my fault."

Azura looked over to Corrin. "You think you made the wrong choice?"

She sighed. "I think I could have left them on better terms."

Camilla immediately gave Corrin an unexpected hug. "Awww, don't be sad Corrin. Big Sister is here now. And once these boats are running again, we can go to Notre Sagesse together!"

"Ooh! Ooh! And I can tell you a story I made up about two caterpillars on a leaf boat!" Elise said. "It's my masterpiece!"

"That's… a nice offer, Elise…" Corrin had managed to defend Port Dia from the invaders, and she felt love and warmth from her two sisters…

Yet Corrin could not forget the brother she had left behind.

Chapter Text

Corrin and all her troops had finally made it to Notre Sagesse, and Corrin wore a thousand-yard stare as she disembarked.

"Elise… that story about the caterpillars was very dark…"

"Heehee!" The princess innocently chuckled. "Yeah, Odin told it to me!"

"That would explain some of the mangled words," Niles stated. "Some that only he seems to be able to pronounce."

"Bite your tongue, Niles! That was my best work!"

"I stand by my statement."

Corrin took in her surroundings, shaking off Elise's grim tale. "Well anyway, we're finally here. Now to find that Rainbow Sage that Father doesn't like." The priness turned over to find and older woman tending to some flowers. "Hey! Ma'am! Do you know where the Rainbow Sage is?"

"Bah! He's up on Mt. Sagesse, same thing I told the Hoshidans from before. Leave me alone!"

Corrin gasped. "Hoshidans?! Then Takumi was right…"

Camilla came up to Corrin and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry dear, I'll kill anyone who gives you a hard time over coming back to your true family."

"Uh, thanks… maybe without the killing part though?" asked Corrin. Camilla only chuckled.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Azura asked the old lady. The villager merely snorted and ignored her. "Oh. You're rude."

The journey to climb Mt. Sagesse was long and arduous, even for those with access to wyverns. Camilla in particular seemed stressed.

"Beruka, be a dear and check on Corrin for me, would you?"

"… Is that an order?" asked the assassin. Camilla playfully waved her hand.

"Oh, you! ...But yes." As Beruka flew ahead to check on Corrin, the eldest princess looked around and caught sign of Silas. "Silas, how have you been?"

"Hm? Oh, I feel good, Lady Camilla, thanks for-"

"You're still Corrin's friend, right?"

The knight smiled. "Yes! We've really been catching up on the trip here, and I was even thinking of ways to help her get the attention of Fl-"

"Okay so since Corrin trusts you, could you tell her something for me? Could you tell Corrin that her big sister loves her very much?"

"… Okay."

"Be sure to give her a pet name while you're at it, that's the Camilla touch."

"A pet name, eh?" Silas looked away, thoughtfully. "Hmm… I think I know what you're saying. I'll send your message at once."

"See that you do," Camilla nodded and waved Silas away. Then the sound of Niles chuckling was audible. "What is it, Niles?"

The outlaw began to walk alongside Camilla's wyvern. "I was just enjoying this shipwreck. You really pile it on with Lady Corrin, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said bluntly, "she's my adorable cinnamon roll of a sister." The Malig Knight began to pout. "Poor thing, spending her whole childhood locked away in that fortress…"

Niles rolled his eye. "Oh so you're just pitying her. I see how it is. Ouch. Sure feels good to be better than Lady Corrin, I'd bet. What's it like?"

Camilla narrowed her exposed eye. "I don't think I like your tone. Would you care to rephrase that?"

"WE'RE HERE!" Elise shouted, catching everyone's attention. Camilla and Niles looked ahead and found that the Rainbow Sage's lair was in sight. The fabled Sevenfold Sanctuary itself.

The Sevenfold Sanctuary earned its name from its layout. Seven main buildings, each connected by numerous staircases. In Room 7, Princess Hinoka of Hoshido was speaking to some troops.

"Okay, go check on the Sage, see if he's feeling better. It might be a little hard, no one can really understand what he's saying."

As the guards left, Kaze appeared in a puff of smoke. "Lady Hinoka, there are Nohrians outside."

"What?! They survived the climb up the mountain?!"

"Eh the mountain's not that bad," Kaze admitted. "But yes. And I believe Lady Kamui is among their group."

Hinoka balled her hands into fists. "Kamui… No, this is perfect. We'll protect the Rainbow Sage, and then once Kamui realizes how horrible Nohrians are, she'll come to her senses!"

The ninja raised his eyebrow. "She will? Well okay, you're the boss."

"Spread word to the others, we can't let the Nohrians get through! Get Azama, Setsuna and Rinkah into the formation we practiced!"

Kaze rolled his eyes. "Still can't believe Rinkah followed us here…"

ROOM 1!

Corrin, her sisters, her servants, Silas, Nyx, Beruka, Odin, Niles and Azura had made it into the first hall of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. Corrin nodded.

"Okay, we'll split up and search both sides of this sanctuary! Now how shall we split up…?"

"Alas!" Odin called. "I have a spare hat, and some sheets of paper! We can draw names!" Anna raised her eyebrow.

"… Why?"

The merchant went unanswered, as Corrin and the others agreed to Odin's suggestion.

Corrin, Elise, Odin, Flora, Silas and Azura would explore the western half of the sanctuary. Camilla, Beruka, Niles, Nyx, Felicia, Jakob and Anna would explore the eastern half.

ROOM 2!

"WELCOME TO MY OVEN!" Rinkah shouted. "COOK THEM ALIVE!" She pointed her club at the Nohrians climbing the stairs, prompting a wave of Oni Savages to storm down the stairs.

Camilla and Beruka flew over the troops, headed straight for Rinkah. But then a few of the enemies jumped up and grabbed hold of the wyverns, weighing them down. Camilla glared. "Cease this at once! Marzia is not for you!"

"…" Beruka merely narrowed her eyes.

Just in time, Anna and Niles fired away at the savages clinging to the wyverns, knocking them off. Niles smirked. "Well, looks like Lady Camilla took on too many men. Is it Tuesday already?"

Camilla glared, and then proceeded her charge toward Rinkah, with Beruka close behind. As Jakob, Felicia, and Anna began fighting off the savages, Nyx walked up to Niles.

"Niles, it appears you haven't learned your lesson from before about speaking so roughly to others."

"Um… yes I have!" the retainer lied. Nyx scoffed. "I have so!"

Up ahead, Rinkah proudly stood in wait for her challengers. "I am the Flame Tribe Chieftain's daughter! Everything changes when we attack! Feel the heat!"

Camilla and Beruka nodded at each other, and immediately tried a double fly-by attack, but Rinkah grunted and exerted a shield of flames around herself, forcing the wyverns to veer off at the last second.

"Ooh, she's a tough one. I like her," Camilla noted. Beruka had nothing to say.

As the two were tending to their wyverns, Felicia and Jakob made it up the stairs, and Jakob gasped. "You! You're the one who kidnapped Lady Corrin from the Bottomless Canyon, and I was unable to stop you!"

Felicia glared. "How dare you kidnap our lady?! I mean, I guess technically King Garon did that first, but you know what I mean!"

Rinkah shivered. "Cold air… Ice Tribe! I'll boil you!"

"Oh what is she prattling on about now?" asked Jakob.

"I dunno," Felicia said with a shrug. Then suddenly, Rinkah was running up to her screaming. "Oh my."

The Oni swung her club, emitting some small flames, but both servants dodged in time, and Jakob glared. "Felicia, let's take out the trash."

"Right!"

The two of them quickly swung their daggers. Felicia's actually hit Rinkah, while Jakob managed only to sever her club. "Gaaaah! Snuffed out… the Flame Tribe loses its honor…"

Rinkah fainted, just in time for Anna to make it up the stairs. The merchant winced. "Ooh. So much for her. And after the role she played in the beginning of all this, too."

"Rest assured, she's not dead," Jakob said. "Lady Corrin requested we avoid unnecessary casualties. Though I wonder what she speaks of, regarding a Flame Tribe. There exists no such tribe."

"What?!" asked Anna. "So all this talk of a Flame Tribe, and they don't exist?!" She looked down at the unconscious Rinkah. "Huh. Somehow I don't see much to contradict that information…"

ROOM 3!

Elise rode her horse up the stairs, and nearly everyone had a hard time keeping up.

"Lady Elise, please be care- ACHING BLOOD!" Odin cursed. He held out his hand and sent a fireball flying, passing over Elise and hitting the arrow that would have sniped her. "Phew. Crisis averted!"

"Whoa! You saved me, Odin! Thanks!"

As everyone hurried up the stairs, now watching out for arrows, Silas spoke to Corrin. "Corrin, Lady Camilla sends an important message!"

The princess winced. "Oh dear. Let me guess, she loves me? So much?"

"Indeed," Silas affirmed. "Also she calls you Rover."

"… Rover?"

"Yeah, she insisted on a pet name being included, so I thought back to my family's old dog, Rover."

Corrin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "… Okay. Give her my thanks."

"Right. Oh but before that, how much can you bench press?"

"I don't know, why?"

The knight looked toward one of their allies hurrying ahead, a certain maid. "Well I told Flora that you're very muscular. So if you ever wanted to show off, that's one thing you could try."

Corrin said nothing, as everyone hurried into their first room.

"Oh. You're here…"

The company was greeted by a female archer. She seemed rather lethargic, and her left eye was covered by her own bluish hair. This woman was flanked by several Hoshidan bowmen. "I'm Setsuna… I guess you're the ones Lady Hinoka wanted me to stop… Okay then."

Azura put a hand to her chin. "Setsuna? Hmm…"

Elise gasped. "You know her, Azura? Is there anything you can warn us about?"

The singer nodded. "Yes. She's good at archery, and bad at everything else. In other words, we've caught Setsuna at her best. Be careful."

"Oh it's not just me. See, Subaki and I are training some recruits, so I decided they could come with me to the sanctuary. He said that was a bit much for training. Wasn't that nice of him to compliment me like that?" Setsuna asked, smiling. Azura sighed.

"Attack," Setsuna commanded. She and the archers drew their strings and opened fire. Odin ran past Elise and Azura, holding out his arms.

"DARK SHIELD OF MIGHTY PROTEC- Gaaaah!" Odin was hit in the leg with an arrow and fell over, while everyone else managed to avoid them. "Accursed arrows!"

"I got it, Odin!" Elise chirped, waving her staff over Odin's wound. "All better!"

"Aha! Today your darkness was darker than mine! Many thanks!" He winced. "Though my leg still feels odd…"

Silas turned to Corrin. "Quick Flora and Rover, before they draw more arrows!"

"Yes!"

"Please don't call me that."

Silas and a transforming Corrin each took on the archer trainees, while Flora ran up to Setsuna and grabbed her arms.

"Huh?"

"Freeze!" With that command, Setsuna's forearms were both encased in a single ice block. "There, no more arrows from you."

Silas turned over. "You ought to surrender now."

"Oh… I guess we lost. Okay," Setsuna conceded.

ROOM 4!

At the end of the fourth chamber, only one Hoshidan was there greet Camilla's forces, casually sitting on the stairs.

"Oh, the savages are here," greeted a monk with squinty eyes and fluffy hair. He yawned. "I was having a nice nap before you came."

"I don't have time for this."

Beruka narrowed her eyes and drew a club. She flew past the monk and smacked him with her club, but as she did, lightning struck her.

"AAAAAAHHH!"

Beruka and her wyvern crashed into a wall, and the rider fell off her mount. The monk stood up and rubbed his face. "Ow… 'Go stand watch in Room 4, Azama.' 'Rinkah should be able to beat them, Azama.' How naïve of Lady Hinoka."

Anna winced, still seeing what happened to Beruka. "That's one OP skill you have, Mr. Monk!" The merchant turned to her friends. "We might want to actually avoid fighting him."

"And let him attack us? Absurd!" Jakob scoffed. But Anna shook her head.

"No, it's fine. He has no weapons on him, that's how his little lightning trick works!" Anna gave a wicked grin. "If we leave him alone, he's powerless!"

Azama snapped his fingers. "Well darn it. You've figured out how to beat me. Not bad…" He leaned back and yawned. "Do as you will, I'm not afraid of fate."

Shrugging to themselves, everyone followed Anna's lead and went right past Azama. Though, Felicia and Jakob stayed behind to tend to Beruka.

ROOM 5!

In the next from for Corrin, she was leading the charge.

"Greetings, Lady Kamui."

Corrin tensed at the familiar voice, but knew not where it came from. "… You're Kaze, aren't you?"

"That's right," said the voice. "I wish we could avoid this battle. But we can't, so I'll make this quick."

A smoke bomb dropped from the ceiling, and Corrin gasped.

BOOM

As smoke filled the room, the princess was sent into a coughing fit. Flora was the first to make it upstairs and gasped. Quickly, she used her ice powers to blow the smoke away with a chilly wind. Corrin smiled.

"Thank you, Flora."

"It's no trouble mila- BEHIND YOU!"

Corrin turned in time to see Kaze running up to her, with a shuriken in hand. She jumped out of the way. Kaze's eyes followed the girl, and Flora narrowed her eyes in determination.

"This is my chance!" She pulled out a dagger and quickly threw it at Kaze. It grazed his right arm.

"Gaah!" the ninja recoiled, but quickly recomposed himself. "Ah, I hear in Nohr they train servants much like ninja."

Silas and his horse then stampeded into the room, the knight readying his javelin. "You leave Rover alone! Hyaa!" He threw the javelin, but Kaze dodged. However this merely bought Silas enough time to ride up to him, turn his horse around, and allow it to kick Kaze with its hind legs.

"D'wooh!" Kaze fell to the floor. "Ugh… just like Omozu…"

Corrin sighed, turning to Flora and Silas. "Okay, let's hurry!"

ROOM 6!

Everyone reunited in the sixth room. Beruka was still too injured from her attack on Azama, while Felicia and Jakob were still healing her. Odin was still feeling tired too, and Elise stayed behind with him. Nyx was among the ones who would travel to the next room, thus Niles decided it would be in his best interest to hang back and stand guard.

"Lady Camilla!" Silas called. "I sent your message to Corrin! She thanked you."

Camilla nodded. "Good man."

Meanwhile, Azura walked up to Corrin. "So we fought Setsuna earlier. And from the description Anna gave me, her group ran into Azama. Both of them are Hinoka's retainers, so we might be running into her soon."

Corrin lowered her head. "Aww. I really don't want to keep fighting the Hoshidans. Takumi seemed really upset."

"Oh he gets like that, I wouldn't worry about him," Azura dismissed. "We should get this over with."

"Right."

ROOM 7!

"Kamui… and Azura?!" Hinoka could not believe her eyes. She and her troop of Sky Knights were the final line of defense, and now that duty put her at odds with her lost sisters.

"Hello again, Hinoka," Corrin awkwardly greeted. Azura nodded.

"Hi…"

Hinoka sighed. "So we're really going to fight, aren't we? I can't talk you into coming back?" Corrin shook her head, then the Hoshidan princess turned to Azura. "And why are you here? I heard you were kidnapped by Haitaka and his men!"

"Yes…"

The redheaded princess gave a small smile. "Well quickly, get behind us and you'll be okay! And don't worry about Haitaka, we'll take care of h-"

"About that…" Azura interrupted. That was when Hinoka understood where this was going.

"… Oh. I guess that's it, then."

"Stop being so melodramatic," Camilla interrupted. "Corrin realized how important family is to them. Why should she come running to you just because of your blood? We were the ones who raised her, we were the ones who taught her everything she knows, and now we need to speak to the Rainbow Sage." She kept a nice smile in spite of her words. "So move."

Hinoka tightened her grip on her naginata. "Attack!"

The Sky Knights came charging for Corrin's company, and the red-eyed girl moaned. "Camilla, don't you think you could've been a bit more… I don't know, subtle?"

"Corrin, look at my armor. Do you think I have a subtle bone in my body?"

"Guess not…" Corrin turned to Flora. "Flora, can you do the trick you used on the ninja?"

"Yes."

Flora stepped forward and conjured a small blizzard, stymying the Sky Knights. Anna smirked as she drew an arrow. "Like taking money from a baby!" She began firing on the Sky Knights, while Azura sang for her, to keep Anna's productivity up.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Silas repeated as he kept whacking Sky Knights with his sword.

Corrin and Flora were back-to-back, fighting off their own Sky Knights, when Hinoka landed in front of Corrin, weapon drawn.

"Kamui… one last chance."

"Her name is Corrin, learn it already!" Camilla taunted. Hinoka, Corrin and Flora turned in time to see Marzia's tail knock Hinoka's weapon from her grasp, allowing Anna one shot to knock Hinoka off her Pegasus.

"Aaaah!" Hinoka screamed, falling to the floor. She was the last one. Corrin clenched her fist and shouted to all the downed Sky Knights.

"Okay, Hoshidans! You guys have to go! You don't have to go home, but you're not allowed in here anymore, get out! We're not going to kill you, and we didn't kill any of your friends!" She paused, as all the enemies began to murmur among themselves. "NOW!"

As the Sky Knights hurried out of the room, Azura helped Hinoka stand up. "Am I gonna be your prisoner now? Is that it?"

Corrin frowned. "Hinoka, I'm sorry things went the way they did. But I have a dream for Nohr, that maybe we can do things without killing needlessly."

"How quaint," Camilla commented with an ambiguous level of condescension.

Hinoka looked to the ground, and then quietly mounted her Pegasus. "I'll find you again, Kamui."

With that, the Pegasus trotted out of the room. Then suddenly Kaze appeared.

"Lady Kamui."

Camilla groaned. "How many people will butcher her name?! What do you even want?!"

Kaze narrowed his eyes, but then focused on Corrin. "What are you playing at, milady? You leave Hoshido, but wish to tame Nohr?"

"Well… I guess. I couldn't abandon my family. But I also didn't think killing Garon would be right. The real way to end this war is to change Nohr for the better." Camilla cringed at her sister's lofty goal, but said nothing. "So that's what I'm playing at."

"Oh I see… Can I come?"

"What?!"

Kaze looked around before leaning in close. "I really, really need to get away from Rinkah. Please take me with you!"

"I don't like this, Corrin," warned Camilla, "what kind of ninja would abandon Hoshido like that?"

"If it helps, I owe you my life," Kaze sweetened the deal. "How about it?"

Corrin stroked her chin. "… All right, if you think you can bear the mark of a traitor, go ahead. But first, show me the Rainbow Sage."

Kaze nodded. "Right this way. You can even bring your sister along."

"Sage?" Kaze beckoned. He, Corrin, Camilla, Azura, and also Nyx were in a new room with an old, sleeping man in a chair.

"Huh wuh? Dang ol' ninja man, tryinta interrupt naptime man got no manners, dang ol' young generation, man." The Rainbow Sage got up from a chair and took a look at his guests. "Kaze man weren't the princess n' others tryinta keep 'em outta my place, man, dang ol' failures, man."

Corrin and Camilla looked to each other in complete shock. Nyx, however, stepped forth. "O wise Rainbow Sage. I am an old lady trapped in the body of a young lady. And despite its advantages, I'd really rather look my age. Do you have any advice?"

"Dang ol' curse man, I dunno, go look fer magic mirror somethin', dunno."

"Uh…" Now Corrin stepped forth. "Can you help me out, Rainbow Sage? My brother Xander said I could get stronger if you-"

The sage scoffed. "Gods dang prince, man, told him not to blab 'bout the power boost, now kids n' their dang dogs wanna get power boosts…" He cleared his throat. "Boom."

Corrin felt the Yato shaking in her hands, but nothing came of it. "Uh…"

"Go find dang ol' Brynhildr man, then y'all get the Grim Yato." The sage yawned. "Dang dragons and their dang ol' war, like Stratego gone wrong, man. I'm out." The Rainbow Sage sat back down and closed his eyes, fading away into seven colored lights as he did.

"… Is he dead?" Nyx asked. "For the gods' sakes, he was barely useful!"

A phantom of Iago suddenly appeared. "Hello everybody, it's Iago Time! Corrin, you need to mmmmmurder the Rainbow Sage! Get to it!"

"Iago, this is unexpected… But I think you're too late. Look over there." Corrin pointed, and the phantom turned around. The sage's chair was empty. "He just kind of sat down and vanished. Like, five seconds before you showed up."

"What?! Mmmmmiserable loopholes! You win this round, Corrin!"

Iago disappeared, and Camilla clapped her hands. "Well, this was fun! Let's all head back to the ship." With that, Camilla, Kaze, Azura and Nyx left the room.

Corrin stayed behind, trying to figure out what in blazes just happened.

Chapter Text

The boat ride back from Notre Sagesse was an awkward one for everyone. For Corrin, it was the cruelty of Iago's commands, mixed with the sudden and inexplicable death of the Rainbow Sage. For everyone else…

"Hey, you're that ninja," Silas called.

"Yes, I'm a ninja," Kaze said with a sigh. "And no, I'm not a prisoner."

"So you realized that Nohr's pretty cool and wanted to hang out with us? No hard feelings then!" Elise cheered, and Kaze winced.

"Well, it's more like I'm serving Lady Kam… Lady Corrin, than serving Nohr."

"Aw don't be a…" Elise was suddenly very tired, "don't be a… wet… wet blanket…"

Kaze raised his eyebrow. "Are you… okay?"

"Psh… pshaw…" Elise lazily waved him off.

Over with King Garon, the elderly tyrant rolled his eyes at the sight of Iago.

"Aw great, whaddaya want now?!"

"Your mmmmajesty, the Rainbow Sage is dead."

"Wuzzat?" Garon leaned forward, interest piqued. "Well, nice of lil' ol' Corrin to finally show some backbone! Heh-heh-heh-heh!"

"Well…"

Iago's interruption ruined Garon's good mood. "Oh fer cryin' out loud, what now?!"

"It's mmmmore like the Rainbow Sage killed himself. Allegedly, he mmmmysteriously vanished before we could do anything."

Garon waved his hand. "Whatever, dead's dead! Iago, listen up. I want ya… to make Corrin suffer."

"Beg pardon?" Iago raised his unmasked eyebrow.

"You heard me, you pansy! Make her suffer! Nothin' I do seems to work!" He narrowed his eyes. "But so help me, Iago, you'd better not kill her. Make her wish she'd never been born, but keep her alive!"

"Ooooh! Your wish is my command, sire," said Iago, bowing before Garon. He then looked up. "But if I could ask… why?"

"Because yer my retainer, danged idiot!"

"No I mean, why would you like Corrin to suffer? I'll still do it; I was just wondering."

"THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU IAGO, NOW GIT!"

"Oh gods."

Walking through the countryside, Azura turned to Corrin. "So are we almost back at Nohr's castle?"

"No, not for a while."

"Don't… worry Azura…" Elise was still winded, "we can play… a game… to pass…"

Elise promptly fell to the ground, frightening Corrin.

"Elise!"

Camilla, Effie and Odin all ran up to the fallen girl, with the princess cradling her. "Oh poor baby Elise, are you hurt?"

"Hot…"

"Oh Elise, I know I'm attractive, but now's really not the time-"

"I think she's saying she has a fever, Camilla," Azura flatly told the elder princess. "Hmm…" Quickly, Azura paced over and held three fingers before Elise's face. "How many fingers am I holding, Elise?"

"Uh… six?"

"Azura?" Corrin was incredibly fearful, hoping Azura was actually holding six fingers. But then the singer looked over her shoulder.

"Corrin, I'm afraid Elise has Terminal 7."

"What?! No, that can't be- Wait, what is that?"

Azura shrugged. "I don't know. But it's bad."

"Elise, no! Stay away from the light! Elise nooooooooo!" Effie called out.

"Ah, right in my ear," hissed Odin.

As everyone began to crowd around Elise, Silas rode in from further ahead, his horse working overtime.

"Corrin! Lady Elise! Lady Camilla! I got a message from King Garon, we have another mission!"

Corrin scowled. "We barely finish one mission, and now Elise is on the verge of death, and Father's first reaction is to give us another mission?!"

Camilla sighed, having experienced and outgrown similar disgust.

"Well, kinda. You see, King Garon is sending us all to the royal palace in Macarath! We're going on vacation! Woohoo!" No one was in the mood, but Silas could not see that. "Uh… woohoo?"

The albino princess was not satisfied. "But… Elise!"

Flora stepped closer to Corrin. "Lady Corrin, this may be just what Elise needs. Macarath has experienced doctors, and a vast stock of medicine. They can probably cure Elise's Terminal 7."

"Really?"

The maid nodded. Effie shoved Camilla aside and took over the cradling of Elise. "Hey Lady Elise hold on, we're gonna get the doctors to look at you! Hang in there!"

"Aaaaand, we still get to go on vacation!" Silas cheered. "Yeah!"

Palace Macarath's courtyard was disturbingly empty. If Corrin focused, she would bet that she could hear bugs skittering on the stone columns. That was, until the quiet was interrupted by Silas.

"Yeah! Vacation, woo-" Silas' cheering was cut off when Niles came to a stop in front of the cavalier's horse.

"Silas, if you holler about taking a vacation one more time, I'm going to cut your face until you're so ugly, not even Lady Camilla will want to pity you."

Camilla glared at the latest in Niles' series of insults toward her. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Corrin's gasp broke her concentration.

Across the courtyard were a battalion of ninja and Hoshidan soldiers. And in the center of all these troops stood the red samurai himself, Prince Ryoma.

"Kamui. Long time no see."

"Uh," Corrin averted her gaze. I can't go anywhere without running into these guys now! As soon as I get back to Windmire, is Sakura going to jump out of a bush and beat me to death with a healing rod?! "Hey there… Ryoma."

"Rumor has it that now you're now Garon's dutiful attack dog," Ryoma taunted.

"Did you just say 'now' twice in that sentence?" asked Corrin.

"You be quiet! Nohrian is a hard language!" Ryoma cleared his throat. "Anyway… we… uh…" He turned around. "Kagero, why are we here again?"

A female ninja with black hair covering one of her eyes shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Because you're coming home with us!"

"I'm beginning to be fed up with these clingy Hoshidans, Corrin," said Camilla. "If just one more of them demands you leave with them, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself."

The princess winced. "Let me try to smooth this over…" Corrin stepped forward. "Ryoma, we don't have to fight. We're just here for some medicine!"

"And now you've turned to drugs?!" Ryoma shouted. "For shame, Kamui!"

"No! I mean that my little sister-"

"Sure, blame it on your sister," taunted a ninja with a scar covering one eye. "How classless."

Ryoma then drew his electrical blade, Raijinto. Felicia winced and looked over to Corrin. "Lady Corrin, he was real tough back when we last saw him! Even tougher than us!"

"Never you fear, Felicia darling." Camilla put a reassuring hand on the maid's shoulder. "This time he won't catch me off guard."

"You will fight me, Kamui! And when you lose, we will go home together, and we will help you get past your drug addiction!"

"Ugh! Ryoma I'm not-"

"HRRRAAAAAAH!"

"Oh gods!" Corrin tensed up as Ryoma bolted right for her, blade ready. Before Camilla or anyone else could even react, a horse with two passengers rushed through.

"Kill him, Laslow!"

"En garde!"

The horse stopped, and a gray-haired man jumped off and landed between Corrin and Ryoma, using his sword to block Raijinto. "What the-?!"

"Not bad, eh?" the man winked. "The name's Lasl-OH!"

Ryoma kicked him in the gut, then elbowed him away, to Corrin's chagrin. "Well that didn't last long."

"Hey!" The other newcomer, the one still on the horse, was a female cavalier with a raspy voice and crazy hair. Blue pigtails with pink ends. "You can't do that to Laslow! Now hold still, I'm gonna stab you!"

The rider brought her horse forward, and dueled Ryoma with her lance. They were evenly matched, until Laslow rejoined the fray, and the combined attacks became too much. Ryoma stepped back.

"You fiends! Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Ryoma cupped his hands over his mouth. "SAIZO! KAGERO!"

The two ninja reappeared beside Ryoma, emerging from smoke. They then threw down more smoke bombs, making for a quick getaway.

"Phew! Thanks, guys." Corrin smiled at the sight of her new defenders. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Laslow, and this boisterous young lady is Peri. We are Lord Xander's retainers." The male soldier's eyes then widened. "Say… You look a little troubled. Perhaps after we're done here, some tea might calm you down?"

"UGH!" Selena walked up to the others. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Oh. Hello there, Selena!"

"Bite me." The redhead turned to Corrin. "Lady Corrin, Lady Camilla's getting antsy. Are we fighting or what?"

"I guess so," Corrin answered. "But try not to kill them! I won't have us be savages!"

The cavalier, Peri, stopped smiling. "Wh-what?! No killing?!" She looked down to Laslow. "Can she do that, Laslow?! Lord Xander said-"

"Uh, let's just go along with it for now, Peri… yeah…" Laslow was sweating. He quickly leaned in to whisper to Corrin. "Good call. No seriously, Peri has crazy bloodlust."

Peri whined. "Awwww! Can they at least bleed?"

Eventually, the battle had begun. Elise stayed behind, being in no condition to fight. As such, Jakob, Felicia and Flora all stayed in her tent with her. This was both for protection, and so the maids' ice powers could keep her fever down. Felicia was breathing hard, stressed over Elise's health, so Flora took it upon herself to distract her. "… Fun fact, I was actually in the middle of being assigned to work here, once we were all relocated to Castle Krakenburg."

"You were?"

"Yes."

Felicia smiled. "You know, it's nice that we're all together again. Except… except for Gunter," Felicia's smile dropped.

"Gunter…" Elise repeated, nearly unconscious. Felicia perked up.

"Hm? What's that, girl? Gunter's in trouble?"

"Gunter…"

"Gunter fell down the well?!"

"Felicia, stop being stupid!" Jakob scolded. "I'm trying to keep watch!"

Flora glared. "Don't talk to her like that!" She then looked to the side, and spoke under her breath.

"Was he always that rude…?"

The combatants arranged themselves into three groups to take on the Hoshidan forces. The central division consisted of Corrin, Silas, Anna and the newcomer Kaze. On the Nohrians' left side were the forces of Laslow, Peri, Odin and Selena. Then on the right were Camilla, Azura, Effie and Niles.

Of the three groups, Laslow's was the first to engage. "Peri, remember not to get too carried away!"

"You're no fun, Laslow!" The cavalier pouted, as she was about to gore a defeated soldier with her lance. Instead, she just let him be.

Odin and Selena fought their way past a ninja, and joined with Laslow and Peri. The mage was positively beaming. "What divine providence that the three of us would be brought together again, under these circumstances!"

Peri quickly counted on her fingers, before looking at Odin. "There's four of us."

Selena rolled her eyes. "Yeah Odin, when'd you fail math?"

"Oh lighten up Sev- I mean Luna!"

"Selena!" the redhead corrected. "Gawds, Odin!"

"Er, yes." The mage ran a hand through his hair. "So Inigo, what's up?"

"Excuse me?!" Laslow became flustered.

"Uh, I said… uh... 'amigo what's up'? Yeah that's it… because we're… amigos. You… me… her…"

Selena scoffed. "Can we just focus?! If we don't get a move on, Lady Elise is going to keel over!"

"Oh. That'd explain why I haven't seen her with the others," Laslow stated. "We can't have that, can we? Not only are the crown siblings our bosses, but such a pretty face like Elise's should not leave our world just yet. We haven't even had tea together yet."

Selena gasped. "Laslow, are you really going to flirt with Lady Elise?! Seriously?! She's only barely an adult!"

Odin looked around nervously, as Laslow waved his hands. "Whoa there Selena, the act of drinking tea is not inherently flirtatious! Besides, she's hosted numerous tea parties and- Peri stop!"

As Laslow was distracted, Peri had run off to battle some more Hoshidans, possibly to the death. Laslow and Selena sighed, going after her, while Odin turned his gaze back at the spot where Elise was being kept.

Corrin and Silas were fighting off some more ninja, when Saizo made an appearance atop a stone pillar. He prepared to attack Corrin, when he tensed up and looked behind him. Kaze was there, on another pillar.

"Suzukaze…"

"You knew I was here?"

"I'd be a horrible ninja if I didn't recognize another ninja behind me," the elder twin said. His eye narrowed. "Speaking of horrible ninja…"

"Oh boy here we go…" Kaze rolled his eyes.

"What were you thinking?! Abandoning Hoshido?!"

The green-haired man defensively held out his arms. "Okay hear me out on this… You know how I was technically never anyone's retainer?"

"Ugh…"

"Queen Mikoto was going to have me be Lady Kamui's retainer, so y'know…"

"Kamui is a disgrace and you should have killed her when you had the chance!" Saizo barked.

Corrin cleared her throat, catching the ninja brothers' attention.

"Saizo, was it? I can hear everything you're saying."

"Oh. My apologies. Ahem…" Saizo cleared his throat and turned to face Corrin. "Kamui you're a disgrace and I regret that you're still alive."

Corrin's eyes widened. "Rude!"

"I will succeed where he failed!" Saizo vanished, but his voice was audible. "I'm watching you, Kamui." The princess and her cavalier friend began to nervously look around, as Saizo kept taunting them. "I can strike you from anywhere, at any time, with any attack. You will die, traitor! When you least expect-"

Anna walked up to Kaze's pillar. "Hey Kaze, do you know that ninja guy sitting in the bushes? He looks kind of like you."

Hearing that, Corrin and Silas looked over and found Saizo in a bush right next to them. He began to sweat. "Uh… pay no attention to the ninja in the bushes."

Silas' horse turned around and used its hind legs to punt the enemy ninja out of the bushes and into submission. In a puff of smoke, Kagero appeared.

"Stop kicking ninja with your horse!"

Anna gasped. "Guys, watch out! It's Kay-garrow!" She looked up at Kaze. "That's how you pronounce it, right?"

"… No."

"I don't take kindly to traitors. Kamui, Kaze." She pulled out two ninja stars. "But Lord Ryoma insists you come home with us, so I'll do it."

Silas' horse turned to face Kagero, as the knight himself drew a sword. "You'll have to get through me first!"

Silas charged for Kagero, but the ninja flipped into the air and nailed him with a few shuriken, before landing closer to Corrin. The princess swung her sword instantly, but her opponent blocked. After keeping their weapons locked, the two backed off from each other. Then Kaze suddenly appeared beside Corrin.

"You've left me no choice, Kagero."

The male ninja threw a few stars at his former ally. Although the weapons grazed her, Kagero remained on her feet. "Kaze, you seem to forget that I'm a master of shuriken."

"... Meaning…?" Kaze was quickly bombarded with several stars. "Aah! Gah! Augh! Ooh! Aaah!" He wobbled around. "Oh… yeah…"

"Now, all of you will- G'aaack!" Kagero began to choke, as Effie was suddenly behind her, pulling on the ninja's scarf.

"Yeah, never really got why you guys insist on wearing these." With that, the knight began to spin around, swinging Kagero like a ragdoll, before finally throwing her into a distant corner. "So long-y ninja!"

Kagero crashed into a pyramid of medicine jars, which created an explosion. Corrin gasped.

"Effie, I said for us not to kill-"

"Elise is dying, milady!" screamed Effie. "No more holding back! If she dies because we had to take so long to avoid fighting-"

"If it helps," Kaze's sudden recovery startled both Corrin and Effie, "I've seen Kagero live through worse. She'll be fine. Now why don't we hurry?"

"Right…" Corrin nodded and ran ahead, forcing the others to catch up.

"Way to run off without me, Effie. Really appreciate it," deadpanned a very vulnerable Azura. Antagonistic Hoshidans surrounded her on all sides. "Hmm… Going to have to rely on my secret weapon."

Azura cleared her throat and belted a song.

"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream." She silently urged one of the soldiers to join in the next line. "Row, row, row your boat-"

And the soldier actually did it. "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream-"

The two finished their verses and started again. And of course…

"Row, row, row your boat," another soldier joined in.

Soon enough, all the Hoshidan fighters were singing. At the end of the last soldier's verse, the first one nodded in approval. "Excellent work, men. Now, let's capture Azura!"

"Wait, where is she?"

The soldiers searched, but Azura was nowhere to be seen. The first soldier groaned and snapped his fingers. "Dang it! The old 'distract them with a quick round of row-row-row your boat' trick! Our one weakness!"

A little behind them, Niles and Camilla were fighting off some other Hoshidans, until a shuriken hit a nearby jar. Medicine spilled out and coated the two Nohrians, freezing them in place.

"Ooh, Freeze Potion. I've had a few crazy nights being at the mercy of this spell!" Niles commented. "I can still talk, though. Must not be as potent as the Freeze staff." Camilla huffed. "Aw, is the potion too much for Lady Camilla?" He grinned. "Is it your first time?"

"I've had about enough of your words, Niles. If there's something you want to tell me, then tell me. You've been rude to me ever since I arrived, and my patience is growing thin."

Niles raised one of his brows. "Oh really? Okay then…" He grinned. "I enjoy your reactions."

"… What?"

A Hoshidan warrior was sneaking up on Niles and Camilla to attack, but became too invested in their conversation. He overheard Niles. "It's soooo satisfying to fluster you."

"What, because after the life you've had, you think I deserve to be knocked down a peg?" Camilla accused. "You think I need a taste of your cold reality? That life was unfairly kind to me? That I deserve to suffer? Because I have to say, Niles, there are worse things in life than having my little brother's weird friend make rude remarks at me."

"Huh? Oh that's not it," the outlaw admitted. "I just like your reactions." For that remark, he received a dirty look. "Oh gods yes! Keep staring at me like that!"

And just like that, Camilla's expression lightened up. "Niles… are you… are you enjoying this?"

The Hoshidan soldier awkwardly crept away, having learned too much information about Niles.

All the Nohrian combatants, save for Camilla and Niles, were making a beeline for the palace building. As more ninja arrived, distracting the fighters, it fell upon Corrin, Azura and Kaze to reach the medicine for Elise. But one samurai stood in their path, blade drawn.

"Kamui, stop this at once!"

Corrin glared. "Ryoma, Elise will literally die! Do you really want that?!"

The samurai did not back down. "A likely story. These Nohrians have you addicted, Kamui! Look at this jar of medicine next to me." Ryoma gestured toward a pot of herbs on the floor near him. "This represents your brain."

"Ryoma!"

He quickly shattered the vase with a single cut. "And this is your brain on drugs!"

The blue-haired songstress shook her head. "Ryoma, please stop this."

"Azura, don't think I don't know what's going on. Hinoka told me everything. Are you on the drugs too?!"

"The drugs?" the singer repeated, before shaking her head. "Whatever. No, Ryoma, none of us are on drugs!"

Kaze sighed. "Milord, this battle is completely unnec-"

"See your death."

A lightning bolt came down, and Kaze gasped, avoiding it just in the nick of time. Ryoma met Kaze with a scowl. "I don't believe I'm your lord anymore, Kaze."

Corrin tightened her grip on Yato and growled. "For the love of the gods, Ryoma, just let us through so Elise can get her treatment! I really don't want to fight another one of my siblings!"

"Then you shouldn't have gone to war with us! HAAAA!" Ryoma immediately ran for Corrin, Raijinto surging with electricity. Corrin quickly blocked with her sword, and managed to hold Ryoma in place, locking blades. But the princess could not hold out, Ryoma was simply too strong. Azura and Kaze gave each other a quick nod and ran past the distracted fighters.

"It doesn't… have to… be this way, Kamui!"

"I'm… Corrin!"

"… So be it."

Sparks began to fly off Raijinto, shocking Corrin. "Gaaah!"

"I'll stop if you surrender, Corrin!"

"Grrr! Ryoma, this- aah- isn't what Mother would- gah- want!"

"No, it isn't." Suddenly, the Raijinto's sparks intensified, even beginning to hurt Ryoma a little. "Gah!"

"Aah! Ryoma, you're hurting yourself too!"

"Grr… give up… then…!"

A shuriken suddenly hit Ryoma in the back, and the Raijinto's power ceased. Ryoma relented from his blade lock with Corrin, and looked around, before dizzily falling onto the floor.

"What the…" Corrin nervously looked around, and Kaze appeared in the hallway behind Ryoma.

"There you are, Lady K… Lady Corrin. Lady Azura and I found the medicine, it would be best to retreat before he recovers."

Corrin nodded, still hurt and winded. "Thanks… Kaze…"

The wounded Corrin walked into Elise's tent, and Jakob gasped.

"Lady Corrin! What in blazes happened to you out there?!"

"Not important, just give this to Elise!" Corrin shoved a jar of medicine into the butler's hands, and he nodded. Before long, the entire process was completed and the Nohrians swiftly evacuated from Macarath in wagons. The young princess was able to rest for the remainder of her journey home, being watched over by Corrin, Azura and Flora.

"No Leo, don't date that tomato, it's just using you…" Elise drearily warned. Azura gave Corrin a worried look.

"She talks in her sleep, it's fine."

Flora nodded. "Yes, this is normal for her." With that, she turned attention to her liege. "Anyway… Lady Corrin, are you sure you've recovered from that fight with your brother? You seem well for a person who had been recently electrocuted."

"Raijinto's kind of a magical sword, so I'm guessing that wasn't regular lightning," Corrin explained. "And you're the one who healed me, weren't you?"

"Well, yes…"

"I trust you did a good job, Flora. You're always looking out for me." Corrin gave the maid a smile. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you know how much I appreciate you."

"I was just doing my job," Flora nervously explained. She never quite got used to praise.

"And that's what I appreciate, you're so dedicated to helping!" Corrin chirped. "Especially now that you're here by choice, instead of being forced into it. It just really means a lot to me that you wanted to come back with me."

Flora could not deny that one. Back in the Ice Tribe, she had offered to stand by Corrin's side once again, moved by her liege's kindness. Feeling a little uncomfortable, the maid hoped Azura could change the subject, but she was reading a book. Suddenly, Elise stirred again.

"Gunter, please… Corrin misses you…"

Corrin and Flora's attention snapped right back toward the sleeping princess, and they both frowned. Even Azura looked up from her book. "Who is Gunter? I've heard you guys talk about him before."

"Gunter… was pretty much my father," Corrin explained. "Not counting Garon. Or Sumeragi. But he fell into the Bottomless Canyon shortly before I was taken back to Hoshido. I don't like to remember it."

"Into the Bottomless Canyon… interesting…"

"How is that interesting, of all things?" Flora asked.

"I literally cannot say."

And that was all the explanation Azura bothered to give.

Chapter Text

"Father, I'm back!" Corrin called, walking into the throne room. Azura was with her. This caused Garon to wake from a nap. "I even brought the missing princess of Nohr!"

"Hey."

"Huh wuzzat? Oh yer back. Good, good…" Garon yawned. "Well slap me silly and call me Salsa Verde. Ya found Arete's kid! Anyway, did y'all enjoy Macarath? It was actually Iago's idea to send you there."

Corrin narrowed her eyes. "… Of course it was."

"Say I got an idea. How about y'all go to Cheve and stop the rebellion? Yeah, them dang Chevois are forgettin' who their king is!" Garon yawned, returning to his nap. "Do it now… Corrin… Zzzzz…"

Corrin and Azura stared blankly for a few moments, before both shrugging.

"Hey Corrin… can I stay out of this one?"

"Oh. You'd like to get familiar with the castle again?"

"Gods no, this place sucked. But I had a… side project I was working on. You can do without my song for one trip, can't you?"

Corrin was apprehensive, yet conceded. "Well, all right."

In Corrin's bedroom, the princess and Lilith were going over a map of Nohr, with Corrin seemingly absorbed in learning the lay of the land.

"So… Cheve would be over here. And that place Flora told me about was on the path leading to Cheve… Hey, maybe I can work in a visit after all!"

"What are you planning, Lady Corrin?" the dragon asked.

"Well one time back in the fortress, Flora was telling me about a place that could grant your wishes, so we agreed to go together." She looked aside. "I don't know if she really meant that, since that was before she trusted me. But still, now we can actually go, since it's on the way to Cheve!"

"So everyone's coming with us?"

"Well… I guess, if they want. If they have a wish to make on the way to Cheve. Elise and Camilla insisted on coming, with their retainers. And Leo's retainers said they were still assigned to me. Everyone else is technically a soldier of mine."

The door suddenly flew across the room, kicked by a large man. Corrin and Lilith turned around, finding none other than Hans.

"IT'S ME, HANS!"

"Hans?!" Corrin scowled. She stood right up and pointed out to the hall from her desk. "Get out of my room this instant!"

"GARON SAID TO GET YOU, WE ARE LEAVING SOON!"

"You're coming with us? No!" Corrin shook her head. "I gave you a chance and you killed Gunter! You should've been imprisoned! How do I know you're not just going to pull something?"

"GARON WANTED ME TO BEAT YOU, SO WE COULD SEE HOW TOUGH YOU WERE." He scratched his chin. "UHHH… GUNTER WAS AN ACCIDENT. Yeah, that's it."

"I don't think you're getting rid of him," Lilith whispered. Corrin sighed.

"Okay you can come, but you answer to me for everything!"

"YAAAAAAY! HANS GETS TO KILL!"

"Hans gets to do nothing unless I say otherwise!"

The trip to Cheve was trying for all the Nohrians, except for Hans. They had finally made it, but not without some headaches. Corrin leaned on a wall, running her hands through her hair.

"We just got here and I already want to go home…"

"Corrin, how long is stopping the rebellion going to take?" Elise asked, approaching her sister.

"Elise, these kinds of things aren't mapped out. It takes until they agree to stop going against Father."

At that point, Camilla joined her sisters. "Oh that will never happen. It was only a matter of time until the Chevois rebelled. We'll probably have to kill them."

"Camilla!"

"I'm sorry dear, but I'm just telling the truth…" She then turned to her youngest sister. "By the way Elise, are you sure you're feeling better? You don't need to keep fighting with us."

Elise put her hands on her hips and tried to look heroic. "Have no fear! I'm 200% ready! I gotta heal everyone twice as hard to make up for last time!"

"TRAITOR!" A familiar voice caused the princesses to look over. Takumi was standing before them, next to a Wyvern Lord in red armor, with a determined look in her eyes. "I've been waiting for this! Oh and here's Scarlet."

"Yo."

"Now make me happy for once and just die!" Takumi instantaneously produced Fujin Yumi and shot for Corrin, though his target evaded.

Camilla brought out her axe and pointed it in the boy's direction. "I believe it's past your bedtime, rude little boy!"

"Ugh… Takumi, go back to Hoshido or something! We're just here to calmly suppress the rebellion! If everything goes well, we'll reach an understanding! You don't need to make this violent!"

"Well maybe the rebellion doesn't want to calmly end, ever think of that?!" Takumi countered. Scarlet gave him an odd look.

"I can speak for myself, dude."

Camilla gave the Wyvern Lord a look of equal contempt. "Oh and here we have some traitors to Nohr. How shameful."

"What?!" Takumi squawked. "So when my sister- not yours- abandons us, it's okay, but Scarlet can't do that?! How is that fair?! You smug, condescending-"

Elise folder her arms. "Hey, stop calling her names!"

"Be quiet, you little brat!" Takumi bared his teeth and shot Elise with an arrow.

"Ow! He shot me! Corrin, your Hoshido brother's a jerk!"

Corrin knelt down and gave a concoction to Elise, whom took it for herself. The half-dragon princess stood back up, glaring. "Okay Takumi. I didn't want to fight, but you're giving me no choice!"

"Good! I can't wait until I kill you! That'll be the best day of my life!"

Scarlet raised her eyebrow. "Really? Like… not even any of your birthdays or something? Hey I don't like her either, I'm just sayin'."

Takumi glared at his ally. "I didn't ask your opinion! Go get your troops, we're going to kill these guys! Not 'fight', not 'resist', just 'kill'! I want them dead! I'll go get my own troops! This is happening!"

Takumi marched away. Scarlet awkwardly glanced around, but decided to just go along with it. Corrin sighed.

"This is going to be a long night…"

"UGH! What is going on out here?!" called a voice suspiciously similar to Sakura's. Corrin, Elise and Camilla turned around to find two soldiers. One was a blonde woman with an axe and revealing attire. The other was a scary-looking man in bulky armor.

"You're not with that horrible Scarlet woman are you?" Camilla asked the newcomers.

"Ew, I'm not even from Cheve!" The woman was clearly repulsed. "As for Benny, he's… Wait, where are you from again?"

The knight shrugged. "Just a small village near the border."

"Did you see any frickin' Hoshidans around here? Somehow they got past the border!"

"I knew today was a bad day to play with the bears," Benny lamented, looking at his feet. Corrin looked around awkwardly.

"Well… we're gonna put an end to this rebellion, now. Since Father ordered it. And stuff." Corrin looked over. "Camilla, are you in charge or am I? Father gave me this mission, but you're the oldest-"

"Oh you know I've never had a head for strategy, dear!"

"Neither do I, I'm just remembering things Leo told me. Well okay, just go off with Elise and get everyone ready, it won't be long before the rebels get here." Corrin turned to her little sister. "Feeling better, Elise?"

"Yoooou know it!"

Elise and Camilla walked off, as the rude woman was left astonished. "Hold it! Camilla? Elise? Leo? Then you must be… Huh, Prince Xander's a lot girlier than I thought…"

"What? No, I'm Princess Corrin!"

The woman gasped. "Your money- I mean- majesty! Please forgive me for not introducing myself! We're just two humble border guards, Charlotte and Benoit."

"My friends call me 'Benny.' If I had any friends. Only Charlotte speaks to me."

"Aw, you don't seem so bad!" Then Corrin winced. "Well I did kind of have a mini heart attack when I first saw your face. But only mini!" She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, not helping… So you guys want to help us with the rebellion? Oh, but we're trying not to kill them if we can."

"That might be good for my image," Benny mused. "I'm in."

"Sure, anything for my friend who happens to be a rich princess!"

The battle for Cheve was beginning. The new recruits were to aid Flora, herself targeting Scarlet. Meanwhile, Corrin's other servants would tend to her sisters. Selena, Kaze, Beruka, and Silas were to rout the enemy soldiers. This left Corrin and Anna to restrain Hans while also trying to defuse Takumi. Among the Hoshidan troops, two notable soldiers were paired together. One was a diviner, the other was a Kinshi Knight.

"Orochi, have you ever noticed that we don't talk to each other?" the Kinshi Knight asked, as she and Orochi were patrolling the central streets. The diviner nodded.

"Yeah it's weird. We were both retainers to Queen Mikoto, and we don't ever really talk to each other. Let's bond!" Orochi put a finger to her chin. "Hmm. Do you enjoy a good joke, Reina?"

"No more than the next person," the Kinshi Knight admitted. "Do you get a rush out of battle, out of seeing the light leave someone's eyes as they die?"

"Gods no!"

"… I'm beginning to see why we don't hang out much."

"Yeah…"

A shrill voice called out to the retainers. "Hold it right there, Hoshidans!"

Camilla's retainers, Selena and Beruka, were ready to face off against the unacquainted Hoshidans. Reina's eyes sparkled with joy. "Ah! Nohrians! I look forward to your deaths!"

"Shut up… baka!"

"Yes?" Beruka looked over.

"No! I said 'baka', not 'Beruka'!" Selena rolled her eyes. "Gods, they don't even sound that similar!" She scoffed. "Whatever. You take the flier, I'll get the other one."

"Oh gods yes, fight me!" Reina's heartbeat quickened, while Orochi scowled.

"I'm just 'the other one' to you? How rude. Hmhmhmhm…" An ominous giggling. "Someone should have taught you to fear my magic!"

"Let's get this over with!"

Beruka pulled out her axe. "Beginning the conflict."

As the four fighters ran up to each other, Kaze and Silas came up to the scene. The knight smiled.

"Oh hey, it's Selena and Beruka."

Kaze nodded. "And there's Orochi and Reina."

"Who do we help again?" Silas asked, turning to Kaze.

"Well we are fighting for Nohr, last I checked…" the ninja began.

"Right."

The two men joined the fray, and it became a wild affair.

"Ahyuck! C'mon boys, let's loot this town blind while everyone's fightin'!" called out a ruffian.

"Excuse me," Camilla caught the thief's attention, startling him.

"Well hey there foxy lady!"

"Original. Anyway, am I to believe you're going to go looting? While my sister and countrymen fight for the sake of Nohr? That won't do. Won't it, Elise?"

Elise pointed at the outlaw. "You're under arrest! Heehee!"

Jakob and Felicia ran out from nearby alleyways and grabbed the ruffian, carting him off. "No! Shoot! I demand a lawyer!"

"You confessed your intentions in front of two princesses of Nohr," Jakob told him. "You haven't got a chance."

"And don't call her foxy, she's not even a Kitsune!" Felicia chimed in.

"Haha, you asked for it!" Orochi warned. She waved an Ox Scroll several times, creating an entire herd of spirit oxen. "Run, my darlings! Stampede her!"

"Running, running, running, running!" Selena repeated. From an alleyway, Silas joined the charge, holding his sword heroically.

"Aha! I shall save you, Selena!"

"Frickin' energy oxen," Selena said, doing her best Running of the Bulls impression. "I don't get paid enough for this!"

Selena ran into an alleyway, evading the oxen. The stampede, and evidently Silas, passed by harmlessly.

"D'oh I missed!" He shrugged. "Eh you win some, you lose some."

Elsewhere, Reina and her Kinshi were mounted on a rooftop, with the rider taking shots at Beruka. Fortunately, Beruka was able to weave past all the arrows, before raising her axe.

"…"

Reina tilted her head. "Hm? Do you wish to say something? You know, you remind me a bit of Saizo right now…"

The quiet assassin threw her axe at Reina, and missed. Kaze lept up and threw a star, grazing Reina's weapon-holding arm. "Gaaaah!"

Berka stared blankly at the ninja. "I could have fought her myself, Kaze."

"I… just wanted to help. You could at least thank me."

"You must be Scarlet," Flora greeted, trying to look polite. "My liege would like to know if you're interested in resolving this over words."

"Screw your liege, Garon's a monster!" Scarlet's wyvern took to the air, as the rider brought out an axe. "Don't think I won't fight you, I know you maids are tougher than you look!"

Flora wrung her wrist nervously. "I didn't want to tell anyone, but would you be interested in hearing a secret?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Not like it'll matter. What?"

Flora looked around and walked closer. "I hate King Garon too. My village was going to rebel, just like Cheve."

"Ah, so you're from the Ice Tribe."

"Yes. And do you know what happened? Lady Corrin came to us, requesting we bide our time, and allow her actions to reform Nohr." Flora grimaced. "We refused, and challenged her to combat. Corrin and her forces beat us with ease, and yet she still gave us a chance. She wields the legendary Yato." After that, the maid shuddered. "If it were anyone else, our village would have been slaughtered. Scarlet, this is your one and only chance to get out alive. Even worse, General Hans is here, he's going to destroy you all if you let him!"

"… And you really think your liege can do it?"

Flora nodded. "Yes. I saw her conviction for myself. Lady Corrin cares for everyone she meets. Maybe she cares too much, but… I've always liked that about her." Flora said, as if she were just now thinking of the words.

This was met with a sigh. "Look. I'm sure Corrin's a great gal. But we're not gonna sit and wait for pigs to fly, and Garon to suddenly listen to someone besides Iago and that lousy dragon of his!" She shook her head. "And here I thought maybe we could've had the Ice Tribe's help."

Scarlet shook her wyvern's reins, signaling to chase Flora. The dragon complied, as Scarlet swung a Killer Axe. Flora managed to dodge out of the way. As Scarlet looked back, she missed Benny picking up Charlotte and throwing her at the wyvern.

"Wait what?!" Scarlet was dumbfounded, as Charlotte wrestled with the dragon.

"Yeah, I know how to fight wyverns! … Don't tell any guys, though."

Benny aimed a javelin and hurled it, knocking Scarlet to the street below. "Gaah! You don't know what you're doing! Garon's going to run us into the ground!"

Flora walked up to Charlotte and muttered something, slowly encasing Scarlet's torso and arms in ice. "We'll leave you here. Maybe Lady Corrin can convince you…" Her eyes darted around. "Hopefully we don't leave you on the street too long, this feels a lot like littering…"

"Hans, quit it!" Corrin was barely keeping Hans from strangling an unconscious Hoshidan. "Anna, why aren't you helping?!"

The saleswoman looked up from thumbing through a few banknotes. "What? I sold his weapon when he wasn't looking, that's not enough?"

"YOU!" Takumi's voice was audible. Corrin shook her head, as she, Hans and Anna turned around to meet him. "Rotten Nohrians! Death for all of you!"

Hans grinned wickedly. "NOT IF HANS KILLS YOU FIRST!"

"No, Hans! Bad! No killing!"

Anna put a finger to her chin. "Hmm. Takumi's kind of a jerk, but this is bad, even for him." She gave Corrin an uncharacteristically serious look. "You might want to be careful."

"You think so? Wait, why do you speak as though you've known Takumi?"

"Oh I know everyone! Mostly."

"LET HANS KILL PINEAPPLE BOY!"

"No Hans!" Corrin ordered. "Stay back!" Corrin had to actually grab hold of Hans to keep him from brutalizing Takumi. "Anna, take care of this!"

The merchant winced and shot an arrow at the prince, before he could nail Corrin in the face. "Gaah! Miserable Nohrian!"

"Except I'm not from Nohr-"

"Shut up!"

Corrin sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this." She took a deep breath and let go of Hans. In a flash of light, Corrin went full-dragon. Crouching down, Corrin let out a torrential roar, blasting Takumi far away with high-pressure water.

"Woo! What a power you have!" Anna cheered. "Wait I'm confused, what happens to your clothes? Or your skeletal structure?"

Anna did not get her answer, as the dragon had fallen to the floor, unconscious. "Ooh. Guess she overdid it."

Human Corrin woke up on the bench again, with her head in Camilla's lap. "Ugh… Takumi please listen… oh… Huh?!"

"Aw, and you were so cute when you slept!"

Corrin quickly sat back up, and before she could say anything, she heard a monstrous voice echo through the city.

"HAHAHAHA! KILL! KILL! KILL! EVERYBODY LOOK AT HANS' FACE!"

The princess gasped. "Hans can't do that! Ugh, Anna should've-"

"Elise and I found you unconscious. We also found Anna unconscious. But still alive. Hans might've been responsible."

"That cruel…" Corrin stood up. "I'm giving him a piece of my mind!"

"Corrin- and she's gone…"

The indignant princess marched right up to Hans, fighting down the bile that was brought forth by his hideous display. "Rrk… Hans! I ordered you not to act without my permission!"

Hans shrugged. "HANS NO CARE. HANS WANT KILL! GARON SAID I COULD!"

"Grrr!" Corrin stomped her bare foot on the ground. "Hans, I order you to-"

"TAKE IT UP WITH GARON, LADY. HANS HAS TO KILL THEIR LEADER NOW!" Hans turned around and picked up Scarlet by her hair. She was battered and bleeding, barely even conscious. "HAHAHAHA! I WONDER HOW I'LL DO IT!"

"Hans, I swear-"

Camilla arrived and put a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "Let it rest, Corrin. He won't listen. But if it means anything, your fake brother did make his getaway."

"HOLD HER STILL!" Hans spoke to some generic soldiers Corrin did not recall meeting. They were each holding Scarlet by her arms, while Hans raised his new axe. "HAHAHA! DIE!"

"Hans stop!"

It was too late. Corrin shut her eyes at the last second, and dared not to open them again, lest Scarlet's demise haunt her for eternity.

As a mixed blessing, Hans and his reinforcements stayed behind in Cheve to 'clean up'. This allowed Corrin and hers to return to Windmire without the man gloating about his killing spree. Corrin stared dully at the road ahead, from atop her horse.

"Corrin dear? Are you well?" Camilla asked, her wyvern now flying low beside Corrin's horse.

"No. Camilla, I tried so hard! I thought I could solve this the same way I did with the Ice Tribe!" She gave her sister a pleading look. "It didn't have to be like this! Hans keeps going on about how Father lets him do whatever he wants, but why?! Why is Father like this, Camilla?!"

The older princess shut her eyes and sighed. "Oh Corrin… I used to ask Xander the same things. And then Leo and Elise asked me, when I grew older." She looked away sadly. "He wasn't always like this. But something changed."

"I just… What kind of king openly hates his people and destroys them on a whim? Someday he'll have nothing left! I know that Nohr's fallen on hard times, but this is too much!" She let out a shudder. "One of the reasons I agreed to come back to Nohr was so I could try talking him out of going to war. When Mother died, I knew I didn't want more death."

Camilla gave her a sympathetic look. As much as she disliked Corrin referring to the Hoshidans as her siblings, she made an exception for Corrin's mother. "But then he immediately sends me to exterminate the Ice Tribe, kill the Rainbow Sage, and obviously sent Hans to kill the rebels because I wouldn't! I thought I could make a difference, but…"

"Corrin… you just have to deal with it." Camilla received an incredulous stare. "I'm not just being cold when I tell my enemies to simply deal with it. It's how I've lived. Bad things happen, we can't stop them, so we just have to manage. Mother hated me, but I hung in there. You were kept away from us, but I dealt with it." She gave a wry smile. "Besides… Father won't rule forever. Xander's a good man, things will change when he's in charge."

"But how many people will die for no reason before then?" Corrin gave her sister a challenging look.

Camilla had nothing to say.

The sky was overcast, above the Hill of Wishes. Corrin and Flora were tying pieces of paper to a nearby tree. Flora looked more melancholic than usual. "Lady Corrin… I'm sorry I wasn't able to get through to Scarlet."

The princess took a deep breath.

"It's not your fault, Flora. If only Hans weren't there…" Corrin shook her head. "Too bad we came here on our way to Cheve, or else I'd start a new wish right now. Something involving Hans getting struck by lightning. But…" A tiny smile found its way on her face, "I like this wish better."

"Good. You seem happier already."

"Just one more visit." Corrin turned around. She and Flora made their way out of the Hill of Wishes, and happened upon Selena, herself tying a wish to a tree.

"What?! I can't make my own wish? Are you the wish police, is that it? … Bakas."

"Yes?" Beruka called from somewhere nearby.

"Cut that out!"

Chapter Text

"This doesn't look like Windmire."

Corrin had analyzed her surroundings and noticed that she and her troops were all in a much livelier city, with people bustling all around. Camilla walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "That's because it's not!"

"But… we were-"

"Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, Father wanted to meet us here. He and Leo were coming here to catch a show, and figured he'd meet us on our way back from Cheve!"

"A show?" Felicia asked. She turned to Flora. "Oh yeah, this place has the opera house doesn't it?"

Flora gave her sister a look. "Well… not the only opera house in the world or anything… But yes."

"Still! You think Garon went to see I Want to Be Your Canary?"

Jakob rolled his eyes. "Overrated trash."

"Camilla, Corrin. I'm glad you made it."

The sisters and nearby retainers looked over to find Prince Leo standing beside them. Corrin beamed. "Leo, it's good to see you! C'mere!" Corrin drew her little brother close and tousled his hair, ignoring his protests. "How've you been? I didn't know you and Father liked operas!"

"That's because everyone overlooks me in this family."

"Huh?"

"What? I didn't say anything. You're crazy," Leo breathlessly denied. "So I take it Cheve went well?"

The albino princess grimaced, as Camilla leaned in to Leo's ear. "She'd rather not talk about it."

"That bad? From the reports-" He noticed Corrin tightening her fists, and breathing heavily, before dropping the subject. "… Never mind. So, uh, Camilla how are you? Father didn't originally plan on meeting here, but he got a letter saying that there'd be a special performance just for him. And I figured 'hey it's been a while since I saw a good show or my sisters', so I came too."

"Well, you remember Niles?" Camilla smiled. "We had some issues to work through, but now we're dating."

"Huh?!" Leo was stunned. "Oh… well… okay then."

"When did that happen?" Corrin asked. Camilla waved her hand.

"Oh, not everything important happens in front of you, dear."

Elise's voice was audible. "Felicia, Jakob, have you seen my sta- Leo!" The little princess ran up to Leo and tackle-hugged him out of nowhere. "Leo, I missed you! It's been weeks! First we met a saleswoman, then we met our other sister, then Camilla showed up, then we found the old man like Father wanted, then a ninja joined us, then I got sick, and then we went home, and then we saved Cheve, and then-"

"Whoa! Slow down, Elise!" Leo said. He cleared his throat. "But yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? You look taller."

Felicia put her hands together. "Awww! They love each other after all! Isn't that sweet?" she asked Jakob.

"Meh."

"That reminds me, I wonder what Lord Xander's up to…" Felicia said, choosing to ignore Jakob's noncommittal answer.

…

Xander knocked on a door, which soon opened. "Good afternoon, sir or madam. I'm selling cookies to raise funds on behalf of-"

SLAM!

The prince stood still. "… You don't even want the Thin Mints?"

To Corrin (and Camilla and Leo's) surprise, Garon pulled some strings, and the impresario admitted the soldiers into the house for free. The royal family were sent to the balcony with their father.

"Wow, this opera house is incredible! I kind of wish we were sitting in the boats in the pond, but oh well. It's still better than the ones I've read about in books!"

"Land sakes Corrin, ya need to get out more!" Garon told his stolen daughter. She frowned.

"Well… it was your idea to have me in the fortress." Garon's glare did not go unnoticed. "But, uh, certainly you had good reason for it! Oh, here's a different subject- what do you think of what happened in Cheve?"

"Huh?" The old man was already trying to focus on a colorful pamphlet. "Uh, whatever. Good work. That's m' girl. Now I'm tryin' to read the program!"

Corrin knew she was about to tread dangerous waters, but she needed answers. "But Father, I was wondering something. Hans said you allowed him to go on a killing spree. Is that true?"

Garon sighed, putting down the program. "Dagnabbit Corrin, we've been over this! Rebellions! Seeds! Salt! Ya can't win every fight by bein' friends! I didn't raise no pacifist!" He narrowed his eyes. "Now siddown so we can enjoy this opera like a danged family!"

"I can't wait to see the opera!" Elise chirped. "I hope there's a talking cat! They're funny!"

"That they are, daughter," said Garon. "See Corrin? Ya gotta be more like Elise."

Iago barged into the balcony. "Your mmmmmajesty, the show will begin shortly."

"Are you and Father just attached at the hip or what?" asked Elise. Iago pointed at her.

"You be quiet… uh… Effie!"

"That's my retainer's name!"

"But I'm in the ballpark, right?"

"Ooh, it's starting!" Camilla announced. Suddenly, everyone fell quiet and watched the stage.

On the stage, there was a lone performer. She looked suspiciously similar to Azura. The only difference was that she wore a dark blue version of Azura's dress. Somehow, it was just as overdesigned and complex as the white one. There was also a translucent veil over her mouth. This Azura lookalike cleared her throat.

"Y'know there's something you should know, so I'm gonna tell you so! Don't sweat it! Forget it! Enjoy the show!"

She then proceeded to rap.

"Workin' all day now it's time to unwind; kick back, relax, take a load off your mind! … Ha-ha!
I'll be bustin' the moves and I'll be bustin' the rhymes, we'll be bustin' up laughin' 'cause it's party time!
Everybody's feelin' fine, 'cause it's party time!

PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!"

As the chorus started, Garon began groaning, clutching his chest, and his eyes began rolling back.

Iago gasped. "Your Highness?!"

"I'm comin' Katerina! Arete! Save a spot for ol' Garon! Graah!"

"Just leave your troubles at the door, leave your worries behind!
Leave the rest up to me, you're gonna like what you find!
I'll be bustin' the moves and I'll be bustin' the rhymes, we'll be bustin' up laughin' 'cause it's party time!

PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's PARTY TIME!"
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party time!
PARTY TIME! IT'S PARTY TIME! Everybody's feeling fine 'cause it's party tiiime!
(Party Time!) It's Party Tiiiiime…!"

Garon was hyperventilating into a paper sack, provided by Iago. Leo raised an eyebrow. "That song really wasn't good, but I think you're overreacting, Father."

"THAT DANGED LADY TRIED TO KILL YOUR PA, LEO!" Garon took a break to say this. He went right back to hyperventilating.

"Hmph. Well what did you two think of it?" Leo turned, asking two elderly men in the balcony next to Garon's. One had a mustache, the other did not, and both of them looked grumpy.

"Well I'd say we got what we paid for!" answered the one with a mustache. The other one looked at him.

"Yeah! Especially since we didn't pay in the first place!"

They both cracked up. "Dohohohoho!"

"She did have a lovely voice, though."

"How do you figure?"

"Because I forgot my hearing aid before coming in!"

"Dohohoho!"

Back in Garon's booth, Iago cleared his throat. "Well, seeing as this opera has traumatized King Garon, I'd say a mmmmass execution is in order. Leo, Corrin, Camilla, what say you and your troops round up all the singers in Cyrkensia and kill them?"

Corrin blanched. "B-but-"

Garon nodded his head, still breathing into the bag. Iago's face wrinkled into a disgusting grin. "Well that settles it! Hop to it, kids!"

"Don't worry, Father! I'll heal you!" Elise said. She started waving a Mend staff in Garon's vicinity. Iago scowled.

"Young lady, I do believe this goes beyond simple-"

"Not now! I'm healing him! Is it working, Father?"

(groan of considerable discomfort)

"Maybe if I just think happy thoughts, you'll heal better? Hmm… Tea parties with Camilla! That time my horse had a baby! Odin's funny words! Iago falling down the stairs!"

"What?!"

"HAHA! IT IS I! KUMAGERA! I'M HERE TO SLAP KING GARON IN THE JOWLS!" announced an Oni wearing most of a demon mask. Upon his arrival onstage, several Hoshidan soldiers began running out from backstage to wreak havoc. Several audience members ran away, while the Nohrian soldiers collectively sighed and stood up, knowing they would have to fight.

A wolf-like man sitting in one of the boats was looking around.

"So… is this part of the show?"

The royal siblings all went out into the house. Kaze approached Corrin, seeing her as the one he could trust. "Lady Corrin, we're already aware of the situation. We will deal with these forces as you see fit."

"Actually now we have Leo, so we can let him worry about tactics for us!"

"… Thanks, Corrin," Leo said facetiously. He sighed. "Well let's see…" The prince began to analyze the entire room, and the placement of soldiers. "The commander is shouting and standing around on the eastern side of the theater, while his men are standing around in random spots all along the path between here and there. It would be advisable to branch into two parties to take him from both sides. This will also have the effect of splitting his forces to deal with us, lest they want to be attacked from both sides. One group shall go along the boats, while the other will head to the stage and work their way to stage left."

"Wait, what about that fellow?" Camilla asked, pointing to the wolf man. He was walking around with a confused look on his face.

Corrin shrugged. "Eh he's probably harmless. Okay let's split up and capture that guy who might've sent Azura's uncanny lookalike to do that rap which seems to have injured Father!"

The team had split into two parties, as they had planned. The troops moving through the northern end of the room toward the stage consisted of Camilla, Jakob, Flora, Silas, Anna and Arthur. The troops moving through the house consisted of Corrin, Leo, Felicia, Kaze and Peri. To make things easier, Flora and Felicia had focused their energy and froze the pond solid.

"Who're you?" asked the wolf man, as he spotted Corrin and Leo.

"Uh, I'm Princes-"

"Don't identify yourself, he could be an enemy!"

"Hey, is this all part of the show? I'm getting confused."

Leo's face fell flat. "Or he could be a wandering village idiot."

"The name's Keaton. I'm a Wolfskin. That means I can turn into a wolf monster. Are you impressed? Uh- not that it matters to me!"

The prince sighed. "And he has the same personality as Selena, great."

"Hi Keaton. I'm Corrin, and this is Leo. We're gonna have to ask you to leave, a fight is going to break out."

"A fight, huh?" Keaton cracked his knuckles. "Well I just happen to be pretty tough! … Could reeeally come in handy… But, uh, I'm not forcing you guys to include me."

"O-okay," Corrin was growing uncomfortable. "Well, hopefully you'll be safe as you make your escape. We'll be going now."

"Uh, you guys sure you can get along without me?" Keaton asked.

"Yes," Leo answered bluntly. "If you have something to say, then say it."

"Uhh… uh… … uh-"

"Let's go, Corrin."

"Okay."

"WOOF!"

"Flora," Arthur called out. He appeared to have trouble getting onto the stage.

"This dust, it's horrible!" the maid commented. "And… is the paint chipping on the proscenium arch?! Well I know this town is famous for its vacations, apparently that extends to the maintenance crew as well!"

"Flora, could I trouble you to give me a lift?"

"And now that I think of it, it took longer than usual to freeze the water. Was it at a higher temperature? What for, are they trying to boil the audience in these boats?"

"Um, Flora?"

A drop of water fell next to Flora, and she looked to the ceiling. "Is it raining now? Is there a leak in the roof? Hmm, what a sorry opera house this is. A shame that this had to be the first one Lady Corrin visited." She stopped for a moment. "Oh who am I kidding, she'd love it even if it were a back alley with wooden crates for chairs."

"No matter, I can see you are busy!" Arthur called. "I shall heroically leap onto the stage! Hah!"

Arthur tried to jump for the stage, but it turned out to be made from a cheap wood, and he crashed right into it, making a hole, startling Flora.

"Huh?! One of the Hoshidans?!" She pulled out a knife. "Who knocked Arthur into the stage?!"

From a distance, Anna watched the whole thing with a smile.

"Geez Louise, what a circus!" She turned around and caught sight of Camilla and Silas further ahead. "I wonder what's going on in the second ring."

"Silas, I've overheard people referring to Corrin as 'Rover', ever since Notre Sagesse."

"Oh this'll be good!" Anna said to herself.

Silas nodded. "Yes! I thought long and hard, and found a perfect pet name for Corrin, as per your request!"

"You literally named her after someone's pet."

"Indeed, after my family's dog, Rover. May he rest in peace…" Silas said, tenderly holding a fist to his heart.

Camilla narrowed her eyes. "Not only did you name Corrin after a dog, but a dead dog?"

The knight nodded. "He was a very good dog. I'm sure Rover would be content, knowing Corrin carries his legacy."

"Silas, you've ruined the point of my message!" Camilla shouted. "Does Corrin think that I think of her as a dog?! Go find her and give her the proper version of my message at once!" she ordered, pointing to the distance. "And come up with a proper, non-literal pet name!"

"… Really? Right now?" Camilla drew her axe. "Uhh, right! I'm on it! Er, would you be willing to give me some sample pet names?"

"Hmm… I've gone back to the same well too many times, maybe she'd respond better if…" Camilla looked over her shoulder. "Flora darling, have you referred to Corrin by any pet names recently?"

Anna gasped, and kicked herself for not smuggling in any popcorn.

The maid snapped out of her paranoid search for Hoshidans. "Hm? No milady. Why… why would I?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Camilla returned the gesture.

"What do you mean? When two people are close, they usually have affectionate nicknames for each other."

Flora blushed. "Huh? Lady Camilla, are you implying-"

The princess gasped. "Oh, I thought you two were… I mean, the wishing hill… and Corrin's never been good at hiding her feelings... Forget I said anything!" She immediately turned over to Silas. "You're on your own thinking of a better pet name." She winced. "Oh and you might want to warn her to make a move. Her silly sister might have… said too much."

"Yes, milady."

"WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE FIGHTING?!" Jakob shouted, being surrounded by angry Hoshidans.

"Whee! Stabbity-stab-stab!" was Peri's war cry. As her steed trotted along the ice, Peri flawlessly took out several Hoshidan archers. Then finally a ninja caught her attention. "Gotcha! Time to die!"

"Whoa!" Kaze back flipped to avoid Peri's lance. "Peri, we're on the same side!"

"Huh? That's silly, you're Hoshidan!"

"Peri, you saw me at Macarath, I was fighting for Lady Corrin."

Peri tilted her head. "Huh? I don't really remember. I just remember Lady Corrin telling us not to kill people." She puffed her cheeks at the memory. "Hmph! Jerk!"

"Well I was on your side then too. And I still am. So no stabbing me!"

"Aww! Not even a little? You look tough, I'm sure you could survive at least one! That'd be a compromise!" Peri did not register the look of bewilderment on Kaze's face. "I get to stab, but you still get to live!"

"… We're not having this conversation anymore."

"Is that a no?"

Kaze turned around and readied his weapons. "This is what gives Nohrians a bad name."

"What if I offered you some homemade candy? It's really goooooood!" Peri offered. "I have some in my pocket if you wanna try!"

Kaze said nothing and disappeared. "… So you'll think about it?"

Silas's horse galloped along the frozen pond with a sense of purpose. Its master was going to deliver a heartfelt message like no message had been delivered before. Silas would leave it to fate to determine what pet name he would bestow Corrin on behalf of Camilla. Until he saw Peri.

"Hey Peri! Do you know any good pet names?"

The other cavalier raised her eyebrow. "Huh? You mean like my weapons? I have a favorite knife, and her name is Bessie!"

Silas waved his hand dismissively. "No, not a name for one's pet, but an affectionate nickname." He then tensed up. "Oh, uh, I made the same assumption, so don't feel bad! Or kill me!"

"What? Why does everyone think I'll just kill them at the drop of the hat?"

The male knight was beginning to sweat. "Er, well…"

…

Silas Presents: Peri's Homicidal Rage (in HD)

Arthur: "Um...Peri? What exactly are you planning?"
Peri: "Oh, just a little stabby stabby party! HEEHEE!"

…

Peri: "Pour me some tea right now!"
Jakob: "Hrmph. There is no chance of that happening."
Peri: Waaaaah! "If you don't pour me some tea, I'll...I'll... I'll kill everyone in the area!"

…

Leo: "You seem excited about something, Peri. Are you going out?"
Peri: "Oh, hi, Lord Leo! I was just thinking about going to go kill someone!"

…

Silas: "Peri, have you seen Rover anywhere? I can't- PERI, NOOOOOO!"

…

"That last one was an accident!" Peri yelled. "I want a second opinion!" She looked over her shoulder and found Felicia throwing knives at a distant Pegasus. "Maid, do you think I like killing too much?"

Felicia shied away from Peri's sudden attention. "Uhh, you said you'd chop me in half if I spilled your tea again…"

"Yeah? I'm just teaching you discipline! The other maid doesn't spill my tea!"

"I'll just think of a pet name on my own…" Silas kicked his horse, wishing to quickly escape this conversation.

"HAHAHA! I'm still Kumagera! And I'm still going to slap King Garon in the jowls!"

A certain Dark Knight and dragon made it to the ice surrounding Kumagera's boat. The dragon yelled, "Surrender now, Kumagera!"

Suddenly, the Nohrian siblings were joined by a giant wolf monster, formerly Keaton. "Guys, you left me behind! C'mon!"

Leo looked nervously between his dragon sister, and the homeless werewolf they had picked up.

"Hmm…"

"Beware! I am Kumagera! And I don't like King Garon!"

"What, is that all there is to you?" Leo challenged. "No backstory on what Nohr did to harm you? Were you a close friend of a lost soldier? Or were you perhaps exceedingly fond of Hoshido's quee-" The mage stopped his sentence dead in its tracks when he remembered Corrin's relationship to Queen Mikoto. "Forget it. What is your purpose?"

"To hate Garon!"

"… Oh gods."

"I can't let you do that! Even if Father's a jerk, this won't do any good!"

"I just wanna eat this guy, he looks real fat!"

Leo readied his tome, Brynhildr, for a spell. "Are you willing to surrender, Kumagera?"

"You know who sucks? That Garon guy!"

"… You should've surrendered." Leo waved his hand over his book, and suddenly a tree branch in the shape of a fist emerged from the ice and punched Kumagera into a wall.

ONE PUUUUUUUUUUNCH!

"There."

"I still get to eat him, right?" Keaton asked, looking over at Leo. The prince shuddered.

Back up in the balcony, the two old men were talking again.

"I'm getting indigestion just thinking about that wolf eating him," said the one without a mustache.

"I got indigestion just by watching that entire fight!"

"Dohohohohoho!"

Things eventually settled down, and the Nohrian forces were hailed by locals as heroes. Outside the opera house, Corrin and Leo found Garon sitting on a street bench. Elise was next to him, still trying to heal him, and Iago was lazily drinking coffee.

"Uh, Father?" Leo asked. "Are you feeling better?"

"Huh? Oh. Whatever. Danged singer…" His eye sparked. "Actually, that reminds me, how's the extermination goin'? Iago wanted y'all to kill all the singers in Cyrkensia. Ya do that yet?"

"O-oh, no, not yet. We had to deal with this random Hoshidan guy," Corrin explained. "But, do we really have to kill every last singer? I'm pretty sure we could recognize the one from before and keep an eye out for her." I'm just worried what that means for Azura. It looked a lot like her…

Iago playfully covered his mouth. "Oooh! Sounds like Corrin doesn't wish to abide your rules, mmmmmilord! We should kill her!" Elise smacked Iago with the Mend staff. "Ouch!"

"You're just as bad as Hans!" the small princess declared.

"I WANT THEM SINGERS DEAD! GIMME THEIR HEADS ON A PIKE, I DON'T CARE HOW!" Garon roared.

Corrin was about to protest, when Leo covered her mouth and smiled. "Of course! We promise to kill any singers we see!" He smirked.

"Whatever… consarn rappin' lady…" Garon slowly stood up and limped away. Elise stubbornly followed after him, and then Iago came after.

"I can heal you, Father!"

"No mmmmilord! I'm your favorite!"

Left alone, Corrin glared at Leo. "Leo! We can't just kill innocent singers!"

"Oh. Okay. Let's go back to Father and tell him to his face that we don't want to do what he says. It's not like he's the king of an entire realm or anything." His face changed to mime surprise. "Wait a minute, he is! What do you know…"

Corrin sighed. "I figured out early on that I can't talk him out of war. So I thought I'd try to at least… I don't know, cushion it or something. I was talking to Camilla about this, but how can Father not see the effect he's having on our people? I mean really!"

The prince merely shrugged in return. "I don't know what to tell you. A lot of things happened at once. Elise was born, the last of the concubines died out, Father picked up that accent of his, he started praying to Anankos, cats and dogs were living together…"

"Father didn't always have that accent?" Corrin asked.

"What, you really thought he was some country bumpkin?" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I guess it's time to look for those singers."

"But-"

"What did I tell Father, Corrin?"

"You said we'd kill any singer we see!"

"That's right." Yet another smirk formed on the boy's face. "Every singer we see." Pause. "Well, I don't see any singers. Let's go home."

"… Huh."

"And that's why I'm a tactical mastermind and- What's up with your sword?"

"What?" Corrin drew Yato and noticed it was glowing, as was Brynhildr. And then, they emitted a bright flash of light. "Aaah!"

"Gah!"

When the light faded, Yato looked different from before. It was slightly blacker, and the guard was more ornate.

"This is what the Rainbow Sage told me about, I remember now! Yato connected with Brynhildr and became Grim Yato! Cool!" Corrin stared at her sword as though it were a new toy. "Wow, I like this look a lot, it's way better!"

"Hm… Well that was fun. Let's go find Camilla and the others."

Corrin was still staring at Grim Yato.

"Corrin…"

"Ah! Right!"

"CORRIN!" Silas ran up to the princess, out of breath. "Corrin… Camilla… loves you… so much!" He was failing to catch his breath. "Also… she calls you… Bessie."

Corrin stared flatly at her friend. "… Thank you, Silas."

Chapter Text

Corrin was playing a dangerous game, subverting Garon's orders. Although it was not too different from what she had been doing all along. She and Leo spent all of five seconds searching for any runaway singers before giving up and preparing for the journey back to Windmire. Meanwhile, Corrin stood by some trees, themselves by a lake, and she pondered recent events.

"How did I ever think I could talk to Garon and get him to stop the war? Really, the signs were there from the beginning." She sighed. "I've always had trouble with signs…"

Azura walked past Corrin.

"Hi Corrin, bye Corrin."

"Oh hey Azura," Corrin briefly acknowledged her, before going back to her thoughts. "I wonder if I should've- Wait! Azura?!"

The woman in question said nothing and walked right into the lake. She appeared to be singing, as usual.

"This is the story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside-down..."

The lake began to glow, and Azura vanished. "Gah!" Corrin scrambled closer to the water. "Hang on Azura, I'll save you!" With no time to remove parts of her armor, to reduce weight, she hopped into the lake and swam toward the center, disappearing herself.

When Corrin could see again, she was lying on her back in a field somewhere. Scanning her surroundings, Corrin noticed that the whole place was warped. Pieces of land floating in midair, the open sky and the clouds acting as each other, and other such oddities told Corrin one thing:

"I'm definitely not in Nohr anymore."

"Corrin?" Azura's voice snapped Corrin out of her thoughts. She stood up to find Azura staring at her. "What are you doing here? Go back while you can!"

"I came here to save you from drowning in the lake!" She paused. "… Wait, did we drown? This looks like some sort of afterlife!"

"No. We're alive."

"Phew! Thanks to me, we've managed to avoid dr-"

"Seriously, go back."

"Grrrr!"

Corrin and Azura looked over to find a ninja headed right their way. His movements seemed stiff and involuntary, and he was cloaked in mild purple flames. Corrin gulped.

"This guy looks like trouble."

The ninja leapt to attack Azura, but Corrin got in the way, using Grim Yato to block. "Hsssss!"

"That's not really a ninja, Corrin. It's a monster."

"What? But-"

"Outsiders… No… are you…?"

The princesses looked around and caught sight of several other monster soldiers in the distance. Azura shook her head. "Great. Just great. Seems like everyone wants to follow me around today."

"Milady!"

"Including this guy…" Azura deadpanned.

"AAAH!"

Corrin turned around, and to her surprise, Gunter was there, defeating the monstrous ninja. "Lady Corrin, is that really you?"

"Gunter?! Wait…" She turned toward Azura. "Is he real? Is he not a ghost?"

"He seems more lucid than all these other guys. So he's probably rea-"

"GUNTER!" Corrin sprinted over to Gunter's position, excitement gleaming in her eyes. "Gunter, I thought you were dead!"

"Well, we can talk about that later. This cliff isn't safe."

"Gunter?" Another voice spoke up. Out of Corrin's travel bag came Lilith. "Gunter, you're alive?! And-" Lilith paused. "… Oh gods, we're here?!"

"Who is that?" Gunter asked.

"O-oh, that's Lilith," Corrin explained. "It's a long story…"

"… So that's what she's been hiding."

Azura caught up with everyone. "Well this family reunion is nice, but we should probably see about getting past these guards, shouldn't we?"

"Oh. Of course." Gunter did something resembling a bow, from atop his horse. "I would be willing to escort you, miss."

"What about me?" asked Corrin.

"I believe I've seen to it that you're strong enough to walk and fight on your own."

"You're a jerk, Gunter." Though Corrin was smiling as she said that. "But really, it's great to see you again."

"The feeling is mutual, Corrin."

Corrin, Lilith and Gunter (allowing Azura to ride behind him) snuck through the landscape. Being severely outnumbered, Gunter suggested they try to avoid unnecessary combat.

"Hey Lilith," Corrin turned to the nervous dragon, "what's wrong? You've been nervous lately."

"W-well…" Lilith sighed. "I... Well… It's complicated."

"Aw you can tell me, Lilith!"

More to herself than Corrin, Lilith said, "I promised I wouldn't say anything…"

"Lilith?" A sigh escaped Corrin's lips. "Very well. You can tell me when you're ready."

Gunter turned his head back. "So milady, you were in the middle of telling me what you've been doing?"

"Oh," Corrin's talk with Lilith had interrupted her catching up session with Gunter. "Well, after I returned with my family, Father ordered me to eliminate the Ice Tribe…"

"Flora and Felicia's old home… I can't imagine they were happy about that."

"Actually, Felicia didn't know what was going on. Flora already beat us there, and she tried to stop us."

Gunter smiled. "Atta girl, I knew she had it in her."

"Wha? Gunter, she tried to kill us!"

"Uh, well, I just meant I'm glad Flora finally grew a backbone," Gunter explained. "Out of the servants, I really felt a connection with her. She hates Garon almost as much as I do!"

Azura raised her eyebrow. "You don't like Garon? Why not? I mean, besides the fact that he's a genocidal megalomaniac." Azura blinked. "You know what, forget I asked anything."

"You never did like Father that much…"

The Great Knight nodded his head. "Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday…"

"HEY! GUNTER! GET IN HERE!"

A somewhat younger Gunter ran into King Garon's throne room. "Hey Garon, what's up?"

"Gunter I want ya to drink this here fancy blood," Garon said, offering a chalice to his knight.

"Um… why?"

"It'll put hairs on yer chest, Gunter! Make ya powerful!"

Gunter nervously eyed the chalice. "Hmm… Is it possible for me to not drink it?"

"And why wouldn't you drink it?! This blood not good enough for you?!"

The knight winced. "Where did you even get this blood? And why are we drinking blood?"

"Gunter! For shame! How'd you forget our most sacred ritual?! When folks sign on as retainers, they gotta drink their master's blood! Now this here ain't technically my blood, but Anankos said-"

"Wait what? You actually do the blood thing? I thought that was a joke!" Gunter looked around before speaking to Garon again. "Your Majesty, no one actually does that anymore."

"Whuzzat?" The king's face hardened. "So in other words, you refuse?"

"Yeah."

"… Get outta my throne room!"

…

Gunter stood before a burning village.

"What is this?! I leave for three weeks and this is what happens?! I knew the town would fall apart without me, but gods!" He shook his head. "You guys are hopeless." He then paused. "Wait a second, my wife! My son! Oh gods!"

Gunter ran through the burning town, and into his own home.

"No…"

His wife was already dead on the floor, with a heavy wound across her torso. There were signs of a struggle, and Gunter hurried upstairs. The door to his child's room was broken down, and for a second, it looked like his son was asleep in bed. But the blood seeping through the bedsheets told Gunter otherwise.

"They're… they're…" He nearly threw up right there. "But… how?!"

…

Gunter barged into Garon's throne room, causing the king to look up from playing with a paddleball.

"Gunter, I'm busy!"

"Iago told me everything, Garon! Why'd you have them killed?!"

Garon slouched back. "Gonna have to be more specific."

"My village!"

"Oh that." He gave a wicked glare. "I told ya to drink my blood and swear loyalty, Gunter."

Gunter stared in awe at the sheer cruelty of his king. He bowed his head and clenched his fists. "… I will destroy you."

"Good luck."

"Good times..." Gunter said. Then he shook his head. "Wait, no, those were awful times, what am I saying?"

Corrin covered her mouth in shock, while Azure merely nodded.

"Oh, Gunter…! I had no idea!"

"That sounds like Garon all right."

The knight nodded his head. "Yes, that was the worst day of my life."

"What happened after that?" asked Corrin.

"I seem to recall that you hadn't finished telling me your story, milady," Gunter said.

Corrin sighed. "Fine. We stopped the rebellion without hurting anyone, and Flora decided to come back with us. Then Father told us to go to Notre Sagesse, and on the way we met some other guys, and we ran into some of my Hoshidan siblings along the way. Also we met Azura."

"Hi."

"Oh yes, you're the one who healed me when I came down here, weren't you?"

"Wait, you know each other?!" Corrin asked.

"Yes. But I didn't know you guys knew each other," Azura explained. "I figured it out when you and Flora told me about him. That was actually why I sat out of the trip to Cheve. I figured I'd come here to find him for you."

Corrin smiled. "Aw, thanks Azura! But wait, what about singing for Father in Cyrkensia?"

"What?" Azura seemed genuinely lost. "I don't know what you're talking about." The princess's smile went away.

"Azura… the singer looked exactly like you. I know it was you."

"I honestly have no idea what you're saying."

The half-dragon shook her head. "Okay, fine, we'll pretend it wasn't you. But-"

"Corrin, I'm seriously confused. Do I have an impostor? Is someone using my identity unlawfully? I can take legal action, you know."

Gunter cleared his throat. "Milady, your story?"

"Ugh… Okay, so we met the Rainbow Sage, he… died or something, then Elise got sick. We healed her, but she thought you were talking to her in her sleep."

"Oh no, that was actually me," Gunter said, completely casually.

"What?!"

"Well," the knight explained, but fell short. "Actually, I have no idea how that happened. Proceed?"

Corrin was beginning to get a little annoyed. "… We went to Cheve to stop a rebellion, but then Hans started slaughtering everyone, even though I didn't want him to. And when Father asked us to meet him in Cyrkensia, it turned out he endorsed Hans! So then Azura's lookalike rapped, which gave Father a heart attack or something, and then he ordered us to kill every singer in the city. Leo and I didn't do it, and I just started thinking, out by the lake. And that's how I came here."

"I see, I see…" Gunter stroked his chin. "I must say, that story is… rather odd. A few contrivances, if I could be honest. But it'd probably go over your head." He then noticed Lilith sitting in Corrin's satchel, nervously watching the landscape. "That reminds me, how are the others doing? Jakob and the sisters."

"Oh? Felicia's been good, she'll be happy to see you again. And Jakob is… Jakob."

"Enough said," Gunter held up a hand, and Corrin nodded. "You told me Flora came back with you even after the rebellion?"

"Oh. Yes, she and her father heard me out. I told them I didn't want any more senseless violence. Then Flora was apparently impressed and renewed her vows of loyalty."

The knight nodded. "I see. By the way, have you found the chance to tell her about your-"

"No!" Corrin blushed. "Er… not yet." Azura gave her a look.

"What, is it supposed to be a secret? Because you're not that subtle, Corrin."

"I-I'm not?!"

Ignoring her, Azura looked back to Gunter, sitting before her on the saddle. "So how are you still in the armed forces after growing to hate Garon so much?"

"HEY! GUNTER! GET IN HERE!"

Gunter, older than before, yet younger than the present, stepped into the throne room at an obnoxiously slow pace. "… What."

"Get on over to the Northern Fortress, I got a new brat waitin' there. The help is tellin' me this girl's as unruly as they get! Go and give 'er the Gunter Treatment!" Garon snapped his fingers and a knight presented Gunter with a whip. "And take this! Go all Belmont on her! Then you're stayin' in that fortress, and makin' her a proper Nohrian just like Xander an' Camilla!"

"… Okay."

…

Gunter eventually made it to the Northern Fortress. After explaining the situation to the staff and being shown to his room, he set his bags down on the bed.

"Okay… Garon's asking me to whip some problem child, a real troublemaker. Hmm… I'm not against discipline, but it was Garon who'd asked me… Meh, I'll just pretend she's Garon, that'll make it easier."

Taking the whip, Gunter made his way up to the child's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"She's not even answering. They gave me this key, but I'd hoped she would still answer for herself. Not a good start, Princess…" he looked down and saw the child's name scrawled on a paper. "Corn? What kind of name is that?! Whatever…"

Gunter unlocked the door and walked in.

"All right, Princess. Let's just make this quick."

The sour knight scanned the room and noticed a little albino girl poking her head out from behind a bookshelf. Immediately, he saw fear in her eyes.

"Um… Princess?"

The little girl squeaked and retreated behind the bookcase. Then it hit him. "Oh don't tell me…! You're actually the princess, aren't you?" He sighed. "Dang it, Garon! They told me you were causing trouble and misbehaving. But that's not true, is it?"

"Acchi itte!"

Gunter blinked. "… What?"

"G-go away!" the little girl stuttered, still hiding. "I… want... Papa."

He could tell the words were not natural for her. With the king's recent hatred of Hoshido, it was hard to imagine he had a Hoshidan concubine, but Gunter had long stopped trying to understand the tyrant.

"Hmm. I'm afraid I don't have your father."

"Got… hurt."

Gunter blinked. This was a new piece to the puzzle, as Garon had not suffered any injuries recently. But Gunter could dream. "Hey… Corn. Gah, what a dumb name… You should have some more dignity than that… Uh…" Gunter scratched his head. "Oh. Corrin. That'll work. Hey Corrin?"

The little girl said nothing. If Gunter did not know better, he would figure she was no longer even hiding behind the bookshelf.

"Corrin, I have a new toy for you. I'll go get it for you if you stop hiding," Gunter offered.

"Toy… Omocha?"

"A what? No, I was thinking more like a ball or something."

"Same word… yes?"

"Ohhh! You're asking if I'm giving you a… whatever. Hmm, this language barrier's going to be tricky." Gunter walked out. "I'll be back."

…

Gunter dug through his belongings. "Uh… quill? No. My spare axe? Nope. A discount ticket to Guy Fujito's new restaurant? She can't even leave this place. Hmm…"

Then Gunter noticed the whip, sitting in the corner. He placed it there upon returning to his room.

"Perfect!"

Gunter went right to work, ripping apart the whip and forming it into a ball.

"Ah. Just like my father used to make," he observed. Gunter stood right up and made his way back to Corrin's room.

By the time he made it back, the little girl was no longer hiding, and was looking out the window. Gunter was able to get a better look at her, and she really did look albino. The other details he could now observe were that her ears were pointed, and she seemed to be the only one in the fortress not wearing any shoes.

"Corrin?"

Slowly, she looked over. "Me?"

Gunter nodded. "Yes. I have your toy. Catch!"

With an underhanded toss, the knight lobbed the toy over to the little girl. Instead of flinching, she focused and held out her hand ready to catch it. The ball ricocheted off her hand and fell to the floor, but Gunter already considered it progress that she refused to back down.

"Hmm… You didn't catch it."

"… Punish?" She frowned.

"No, nothing like that. But I'm going to have to teach you how to play catch. Me and my son would…" Gunter stopped. "Uh… Here, let me show you…"

"And that was the day Lady Corrin and I first met," Gunter finished. "You could say she was the reason I kept going."

Azura smirked. "Aww, you're not such a jerk after all."

"I can make you walk."

"That wouldn't be very gentlemanly."

Gunter nodded. "Touche."

But Corrin was merely stunned. "Wait, you were going to whip me?!"

"Uh, well… I mean…"

"On the other hand, I guess that explains why I had a harder time than usual learning Nohrian language." Then she stopped walking. "Wait! Azura, you knew Gunter, didn't you?"

"Yeah, we talked about this already."

"So you've been here before?!"

Azura wiggled her hand. "Eh, on occasion. Usually when I get lonely. Or I wanted to get out of chores."

Corrin narrowed her eyes. "Then why didn't you let Gunter out the first time?! You might not have known who he was, but you just left him here?! With all these soldiers we've been avoiding?!"

Gunter signaled for his horse to stop, and then turned back to Azura. "Actually yeah, what's that about?"

"Okay so I kind of procrastinated. Don't pretend you've never done that," Azura defended. Corrin groaned as Gunter merely rolled his eyes. "Oh hey here's a new subject- we're at another lake now. That means Corrin and I can leave."

"What about me?" Gunter asked. "Or Lilith?"

"O-oh I can just go with Corrin. I did once, didn't I?" Lilith said. She immediately retreated into Corrin's satchel, and the princess gave it a stern look.

"Lilith, are you sure you don't want to tell me what you're hiding?"

Azura got off Gunter's horse and approached the lake. "Before now, I thought only I could come here through the lake. But I guess Corrin and Lilith can too." She looked back to Gunter. "You can leave the same way you came, just jump into the nearest canyon. Then the Bottomless Canyon will spit you back out in Nohr."

"So it was easy to send Gunter back home! You could have told him sooner!" Corrin yelled. Azura ignored her. "Ugh... Where are we anyway?" Corrin asked. "Reuniting with Gunter kind of distracted me…"

"Oh nowhere special," answered Azura. "It used to be, but now it's just ruins and more of those monsters. Oh, and don't ever talk about this place."

"And why not?" Gunter raised his eyebrow, not liking where this was headed.

"Because there's a curse. If you talk about this place while you're not here, you die," she explained. "… I could not make that up if I wanted to."

Corrin put a finger to her chin. "What if we write it down or something?"

"Sure, go ahead, take that risk. I won't."

"… Good point."

"Besides, we don't have a reason to talk about this place anyway. We're not coming back or anything. And I didn't even tell you the name of this place, so really, nothing to worry about."

Azura stepped away from the lake and walked up to a cliff. "Actually, forget the pond. Let's all go through the canyon together. It'd be a pain to track down Gunter once we make it back."

The knight nodded. "Good call. I'll make sure it's safe. HYA!" He waved the horse's reins, and the equine immediately ran for the cliff. "GERONIMOOOOOOO!"

The mystical maiden smiled. "I like the cut of his jib. Well, here I go."

She said nothing more before jumping into the canyon herself. Corrin sighed. "This whole thing seems kind of… strange. But I guess it doesn't matter now. I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU GUYS!"

With that, Corrin took the leap herself.

In Nohr, the three travelers had emerged from the Bottomless Canyon. Corrin blinked.

"… So now we know what's at the bottom of the canyon."

"Hey, Corrin… and I guess also Gunter," Azura called. The two looked at her. "You really want to end this war?"

Corrin nodded.

"Well then you gotta kill Garon."

"What?!"

"Sounds good!" Gunter said with a grin.

Corrin immediately turned to her knight. "We can't!"

"Fear not, milady, if we all work together, I'm sure we can take him."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Uh," Azura interrupted, "hold on. There's more. Yeah, don't interrupt me next time. Ahem…" She took a breath. "King Garon died a long time ago. But then something took control of his body, and that's why he's become such a wildly different person than he used to be."

Corrin gasped. "He… he's dead?!"

"Yeah, check it out," Azura said. "Only a gifted mage or someone with a lot of dragon blood can use this." She held out a crystal ball and showed it to Corrin and Gunter, before placing it in the princess's hands. The crystal then displayed an image of Garon. "Now… this is Garon." Then the picture changed. It turned into a slimy, skeletal monster with Garon's crown. "And this is his real form."

"Gah!"

"Oh gods kill it with fire!" Gunter grabbed the crystal ball and chucked it back into the canyon. "Phew."

Azura stood completely still. "… Why though. Welp, there goes our chance of convincing anyone else to believe that."

"… Well in my defense, that was a hard sell…" Gunter would pull at his collar if he were not wearing heavy armor. Corrin nodded.

"Yeah I'm still not sure how you figured it out."

"Nope, I've already said too much. Go ask someone else if you want another revelation."

Azura looked at you, the reader, and winked.

"So… we've got to get rid of that monster then," Corrin surmised. "It would look a lot less like treason if people knew he was actually a slime monster, so I guess getting him to transform is the next step." She looked over at Gunter. "Do you think if we spray him with water or something it'll work?"

"No."

"Hmm… I wonder what- OH!" At that point, Corrin remembered something Mikoto had said.

This is a magical throne! … Oh and if you're secretly not my daughter and are in disguise, it'll show me that too.

"Azura, do you think Mother's throne can reveal Garon's true form?"

"Huh? That old thing? ... Maybe. Not my first idea, but it could do the trick..."

Gunter nodded. "Well, I guess the only logical thing to do is mount that full-scale invasion Garon's been itching for, and let him sit on the throne once we win. Ooh, what if he gets killed on the way there? It's a win-win!"

"Whoa! Gunter! We can't just invade like that!"

The knight sighed. "Corrin, I know what you're thinking. But it's the only way to get Garon and that throne anywhere near each other, especially if you don't want him suspicious of you."

She grimaced and looked over at Azura. "There isn't some spell we can try or anything?"

"Everyone and their dog knows about the throne's powers, Corrin. If people see the Garon monster sitting on it, that's half our work done for us. The first half is just getting there."

Corrin sighed. "Fine… The way this is going, it's like I might as well have sided with Hoshido. And now they're all going to hate us."

"They will."

"Well… I already made my choice a long time ago. So I guess there isn't anything else I can say about that."

Azura nodded. "Good. Now we should probably hurry back to Cyrkensia. It's a long way from here."

Lilith returned from her hiding place. "Hey, you can let me worry about that. I'll fly there myself and let you three rest in the Astral Plane. It's the least I can do…"

"Thank you, Lilith," Corrin said with a smile. She turned to Gunter. "Soon we'll all be together again, Gunter." She put her arms around Gunter and held him tight. "I missed you so much. We all did, even Jakob."

The man smiled and pat Corrin's head.

"I missed all of you too."

Chapter Text

In the town of Cyrkensia, Corrin, Azura and Gunter hurried up to meet Garon.

"Sorry… we're late… Father…"

"We heard something suspicious and it turned out to be this guy," Azura lied. She was gesturing toward Gunter.

"Hey Garon. You look uglier than I remember."

"Gunter, yer alive? Well, fry my skin and call me Bessie!"

"Oh I'll get to that someday, just you wait."

"Old man?!" Jakob cried. Felicia and Flora gasped as well. All three of them ran up to Gunter. "Old man, you have some nerve dying on us and then coming back!"

"Gunter, it's wonderful to see you again!"

Of the three, Felicia seemed happiest, actually hugging the knight. "Oh Gunter, we missed you so much!"

Gunter then smiled. Even with Garon and his cronies right there, it was reassuring to be with his charges again. Of course, good things did not last. Garon cleared his throat. Along with Garon stood a group of soldiers, with Iago, Hans, and the royal heirs among their number. Only Xander was missing. "So… Let's invade Hoshido! Normally I'd wait, but I ain't gettin' any younger!"

"Invade? Right now?" Azura asked. "That's convenient for our schedule."

"I'm yer danged stepfather, it'd better be! Now…"

"HANS WANT KILL HOSHIDANS!" Hans had been summoned to Cyrkensia. Garon waved his hand.

"Quiet down, ya hairless ape! You'll get to kill Hoshidans, just you wait! We gotta organize ourselves first! Iago, what's yer first idea?"

"I say we kill Lady-"

"Besides that!" Even Garon was getting tired of Iago's obsession with killing his stepdaughter. "I'll get that Zola twerp to replace you if you don't start bein' useful!"

"Fine…" Iago looked over some sheets he was carrying. "Well, it would be best if we mmmmobilize as soon as possible. We can set up here, and send a unit to take point. They can mmmmake contact with our allies in Mmmmmmokushu and tell us from there how we should proceed."

Garon nodded. "Not bad, not bad…" He looked over. "Corrin, that's yer job!"

What? Why? Well… maybe if I go to Hoshido first, I'll have some time to warn my other family. Maybe we can reach some kind of understanding, and work things out! Perfect! "I accept, Father."

"Like you had a choice."

"Oh, and we should go by sea," Iago told his king. "They'll expect us by land."

A Nestran official walked up. "Hey, uh, yeah, I don't care what you guys do to Hoshido, but can you not set up your base in this country? You teeeechnically don't have power here."

Garon blinked.

In a forest just on the Nohrian side of Nestra's border, Garon was speaking to his children, as well as Gunter and Iago. "Okay, now we can start organizing our attack on Hoshido. Gods danged Nestrans… Iago, remind me to conquer them after we finish with Hoshido!"

"Very well."

Leo raised his hand. "May we go with Corrin's unit?"

"Yes, please Father, I don't want her fake family trying to win her over or anything!" Camilla pleaded.

"Do what ya want, I don't care. Heck, take Elise with ya, she needs to get out more!"

"Yaaay, boat trip!" the youngest princess cheered.

"So that about does it, I figure. Y'all can figure out how to leave on yer own. Iago, tell Hans to gather the other soldiers. We're going home!"

Garon and Iago left, and Corrin silently thanked the Dusk Dragon that Hans and Iago would not be along for this trip. Camilla approached her.

"Oh my darling little sister gets to lead us in this war! How adorable!"

"Thanks?"

Leo did not seem as happy. "Anyone else find it odd he'd put her in charge?"

"You're just jealous," Elise ribbed. Leo rolled his eyes.

"So anyway, 'leader', what shall we do?"

Corrin stopped for a moment. "Hmm… I say… we take a boat from here within a day or two. We'll need to be prepared. I know I have some unfinished business."

"Understood."

With that, her siblings began to head off for their own business. Camilla turned to her brother. "Leo, do you know where Niles went off to?"

"Ugh…"

"Oh don't be that way!"

Elise nodded and walked off after her siblings. "I want to talk to Odin again, he always makes me laugh!"

"There!" Corrin tied the piece of paper to the tree, and Flora did the same. "Now I guess we just wait for our wishes." She looked over to her friend. "So what did you wish for, Flora? It's not like birthdays, right? We can tell each other?"

"Oh… it's not important."

"Come on Flora, you can tell me! We're friends… aren't we?"

"Huh? Y-yes, we are…" Flora said nervously. "But… your wish is more important. To be honest, I didn't even write anything, I just pretended… for… your sake…" Corrin walked past Flora and inspected the paper her maid had tied to the tree. "Hey, don't look!"

'I wish for Lady Corrin's wish to come true- Flora'

Corrin sighed, but then started giggling. Flora frowned. "Are you mocking me?"

"Huh? Heh, no, not at all." Corrin was smiling. "Haha! But I think you'll really like my wish, then."

Flora furrowed her brow. The princess pointed to her own wish, prompting the maid to inspect it.

'It'd be nice if someone appreciated my fur.'

"Um…"

"Wait! That's Keaton's wish! Mine's right next to it!"

"Oh."

'I want Flora to have a happy life.'

"L-Lady Corrin?"

Corrin's grin remained. "So I guess you're covered!"

"Why did you do that, milady? Don't you have other things you could wish for?!"

"Well… that's not un-true… But I wanted to do something for you, Flora. You've always taken care of me. Felicia understands, and even Jakob allowed me to start making my own tea… after a long argument. But you never let me do anything for you! This was the least I could do."

Flora openly smiled. "Thank you, milady. But it's my job to-"

"No! It's not your job anymore!" Corrin shouted. "I told you that you didn't have to come back. But you did anyway. You're here because you want to be, right?"

"Y-yes. I am."

"I should get to the point…" She took a breath. "Flora, I really do want you to be happy. And…" She was shaking. "And… I want to be the one to do it."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Now Flora was beginning to get anxious. "I really do enjoy your company! Yours and Felicia's and-"

"N-no. That's not it," Corrin had to watch her breathing. "I… want to make you happier than anyone else could, Flora." Her face flushed red. "I've… felt that way for a few years, but… I'm saying it now. Thinking about how we almost lost Gunter… and with the invasion in two days… I realize I don't have all the time in the world. So… I wanted to tell you how I feel." She let out a deep sigh. "And there's no wrong answer. But… there you go."

At first, Flora said nothing. She looked anxious, being put on the spot like that. Corrin kicked herself. Gah! I came on too strong, too out of nowhere! I've scared her!

"I… had a feeling you felt that way," Flora admitted.

"Wait, what?"

The maid awkwardly rubbed her wrists. "Well… To be honest, I think only Felicia didn't know. And then she figured it out and told me," Flora digressed, "so I pretended I didn't already know…"

"H-how did you…"

"You'd look at me the same way I used to look at Jakob. I didn't realize it right away. When I did… I tried not to think about it, since I'd eventually leave. And… that upset me. I wasn't really sure why, until I rejoined you and Felicia. But…" Now it was Flora's turn to blush. "Ever since I came back, I thought about it." Then Flora smiled. "I was always happier with you. You wouldn't compare me to anyone. You're always kind, optimistic, and want what's best for everyone! It's inspiring! And I think…"

Corrin waited.

"… I think you don't have to do anything else. I feel enough joy when you're being yourself."

"D-does that mean…" Corrin dared to ask.

"Yes, Corrin." Flora smiled. Corrin could not contain herself any longer and wrapped her arms around Flora, and Flora returned the gesture.

"Hahaha! That's great! Oh… I can't believe it! Haha!"

"Heh… I don't either! It's nice…"

"Good for you, milady," Gunter congratulated.

"I'm happy for you!" Lilith added.

"Congrats!" Felicia cheered.

"If I may be honest, I actually thought it already happened," admitted Jakob.

A random Nohrian soldier nodded his head. He had white hair sticking from under his helmet, with some tufts of black.

"Yeah, good on ya. Or whatever. So we leaving yet? Uh, not that I'm doing anything suspicious! I don't need your money! Don't look at me!"

Corrin and her present company awkwardly watched the soldier anyway.

"THINK FAST, CORRIN!"

The soldier and everyone else looked over and saw Xander riding in on Sieghorse, ready to bring his sword down on Corrin. The princess gritted her teeth and blocked with Grim Yato at the last second. Xander smiled and relented. "It's good to see you again, Little Princess."

"You haven't changed at all, Xander… for better or worse."

"But you have. I can tell you're stronger than you used to be!"

"Uh-huh!" Corrin nodded excitedly. "I went to see the Rainbow Sage like you said! And then he… died or something. Then when I met with Leo the other day, Yato transformed!" She showed off her newer sword. "See?"

"Indeed. Well, as for me, I had… an important mission," Xander recalled selling cookies. "But I heard you and the rest of our siblings were going to Hoshido. I'm not going to sit back and wait while all of you head into enemy territory. I told Father as much, and he… well he kind of shrugged me off. So I took that as permission to join you." With that, the prince hopped off his horse and Jakob immediately led the horse to a stable on the ship. "… So that man was Jakob, right?"

"Yes!" everyone corrected.

"Right… so Jakob isn't the name of Gunter's horse. I believe we went over this back at the canyon… Huh?" Xander noticed he was being hugged by his sister. He smiled. "I missed you too, Corrin. Oh, that reminds me, I brought gifts from Macarath, and they should come in handy."

"Huh?" Corrin watched as Xander handed over a small bag.

"They're Master Seals. These will let you and a few of the others get stronger on the trip. Also, some new armor. And lastly, 10,000 gold pieces for funds." Corrin suddenly noticed the large chest next to Xander. "Gunter, Felicia, will you help me carry these?"

"UHHH, hey how about I do it instead?" asked the generic soldier. "Uh, y'know, if it's not too much trouble?"

Xander's brow arched. "I suppose…"

"Actually that works for me," Corrin said. "Felicia, bring Jakob here when he's done. Gunter and I… need to have a talk with you two. And Flora, go find her too."

And now for someone completely different:

"Dum-dee-dum…" The mystery soldier surreptitiously grabbed handfuls of gold and shoved them in his pockets. He looked around. "Okay, so far so good. That should be enough gold for now. In addition to the bags I've filled, anyhow."

Shura was his name, and getting money was his game. "Now to just sit back and wait for the ship to go to Moku-"

A paladin with a silver cowlick barged in. "Hoy there!" He gasped. "Oh no, the war funds! Someone's been stealing them?!"

Shura was sweating profusely. "Uh… yeah! Wouldn't ya know it?"

"We need to act!"

"Uh, yeah… Say, how's about you and me look for the perp without telling anyone? Uh, y'know, to avoid panicking the others?"

"You mean we can form some kind of secret team?" The glimmer in the knight's eyes displeased Shura.

"Uh, yeah, sure kid. Go have fun."

"Yeah!" The knight ran out of the cabin, and Shura caught his breath. That was too close… I gotta get away from here and spend the rest of the trip not talking to anyone.

Shura crept out of the cabin and immediately caught sign of the young princess Elise striking dramatic poses with a blonde man in weird spandex.

"No milady, straighten your back more! Feel the unholy magic coursing in your veins!"

"It tickles!"

Yeah just gonna ignore that entirely. Moving on… Shura scurried along the way, and nearly crashed into a young girl in black spandex.

"Watch where you're going, child!"

Geez, what's with all the spandex? And what right does she have pulling the age card? Freakin' kids…

Shura shook his head and kept up his trip. It would be best if I could find a lifeboat. If it came to it, I could just try my luck swimming. I'm pretty good at that. The gold would weigh him down, he would have to lose some of it.

That thought made him cringe. All the more reason not to get caught- Yowza! The man found himself in the presence of Princess Camilla. I thought people were exaggerating when they were making raunchy jokes about Princess Camilla. Wait, who's she talking to?

It appeared that Camilla was speaking to her brothers, introducing them to a girl with long, blue hair. "So Xander, I'm sure you remember Azura."

"Ah. Yes. I'm glad we can finally meet under better circumstances."

"Hi."

Wait, that's Azura?! I could've sworn I kidnapped her into Hoshido… I didn't grab the wrong one did I? Ugh, how many kids did Garon have again? Whatever… Shura kept wandering, when Leo's voice caught him by surprise.

"Are you well? You appear to be walking oddly."

"H-huh, me?! Yeah, just… seasick! That's it! Don't look at my pockets!" Shura turned to face Leo, wondering if Leo would believe him. So far, not good.

"… Why shouldn't I look at your pockets?"

"Uh… I've got… tomatoes! For, uh, the seasickness!"

Leo smiled. "Ooh. May I have one? I do enjoy tomatoes."

Camilla nodded. "It's true. Our little Leo objectively loves tomatoes more than anyone else."

"It's been proven," Xander added.

"Uh… uh… No."

Shura bolted.

Powerwalking in search of a lifeboat, Shura stopped in his tracks at the sight of a Ninja Master. Kotaro?! No wait, this one has green hair.

"How is the new armor, Lady Corrin?" the Ninja Master asked. Shura stole a glance.

He saw an albino woman wearing new armor. It was all black. Her gauntlets were sharpened and her cape was tattered. She looked the part of a fearsome warrior, if not for her soft face. Strangely, she was also barefoot. "… I feel like I'm wearing a swimming suit. I don't like it."

The ninja nodded. "Nohrian armor for females tends to be on the… skimpier side, I've noticed. Er, not that I'm paying special attention to that."

"You'd think it's armor they're running short on, and not food," said an adventurer woman with red hair. Shura could tell, she was similar to him in a few ways. Then she sniffed the air. "Hey," sniff, sniff, "anyone smell money?"

Shura tensed up and slowly backed away, before anyone noticed he was there.

"You have fun smelling money, Anna. I'm putting my tights back on under this."

"Ugh, where are the lifeboats?!" Shura was at wit's end, struggling to secure a getaway. Then a slap on the back brought him out of it.

"Hey buddy! Find any leads yet?"

"Aaah!" Shura turned over to his new companion. "Gods, don't sneak up on me like that! And, uh, no. I haven't."

"Me neither," the paladin confessed. "Say I was thinking, what if our secret team had code names? It'll be great! I'll be Eagle 1."

Shura briefly entertained the thought of pushing this knight overboard. "Yeah whatever, kid."

"Hey I don't like this attitude of yours. We're supposed to be a team." Quickly, the false soldier tried to walk away from the knight, but he was not done yet. "Hey, stop ignoring me-" And a sack of gold fell out from Shura's clothes. "Huh?"

"Uhh, that's my medicine! I need that! Don't look!"

His request went ignored, and the knight opened the bag. "Gold?! … How is gold your medicine?"

Phew. Thank the gods this guy's an idiot.

"Wait, no! These are the missing funds!" The knight glared. "It was you!"

Aw crap.

Shura pulled out a bow and arrow and shot the knight right in the leg. "Aaah!" The thief grabbed the gold and ran off. "Come back! THIEF!"

As the thief made a break for it, he heard a shrill voice. "I knew there was something was off about you!" Shura dared to look back and caught the young mage girl, already in the process of hurling a lightning bolt. "Prepare yourself!"

"Aw sh- AAAAH!" Why didn't I dodge?! Idiot! Shura's helmet was knocked off, revealing his wild white hair, with a patch of black hair in the front. He breathed heavily and limped away, before tree branches emerged from the floor and wrapped themselves around him. "Oh what is this?! Come on!"

He started gnawing at the branches, while all the four royals and Azura walked up to him. Prince Xander nodded.

"Good job, Leo."

"Stop biting at the branches like an animal," Camilla ordered the captured man.

Shura rolled his eyes and stopped gnawing. "Look, could you maybe just… not kill me? I still have some things I need to do."

"Hey, we don't have to execute you!" Elise said. "Just give us back the money!"

"I don't know about that, Elise," Camilla started. "He could be a Hoshidan spy."

Leo squinted. "What are you playing at?

Shura would shrug if he could move his shoulders. "Look, I'm just tryin'ta get revenge. You guys were going to Mokushu just for convenience, weren't you? So I came along to kill Daimyo Kotaro. You guys shouldn't have a problem with that, right?"

"The Mokushujin are allies with Nohr," Xander explained. "Trying to kill their leader categorically makes you our enemy."

"Aw what?! Of all the people…" Shura grumbled to himself before going back to gnawing at the roots holding him down. Azura stepped closer to him and concentrated.

"Hmm… That hair looks very familiar. Are you the gentleman who first took me to Hoshido?"

"Huh? Uh… yeah, sure. Guess you didn't like it much, since you came back to Nohr."

Azura looked away. "Well, kinda. Some guys re-kidnapped me back into Nohr. I wonder what happened to them…"

...

Haitaka was being kept shackled in a dungeon.

"… Well I'm bored."

…

"If you even so much as breathe wrong, we will execute you," Xander warned.

Shura gasped.

"No gasping!"

Shura mimed a gasp.

"…Better…" Xander turned to his siblings. "What do you all make of this?"

"I don't really care," Azura answered, being the team player she was.

"Kill him," Camilla casually suggested. Leo nodded in agreement.

"I see…"

"Shouldn't we ask for Corrin's opinion too?" asked Elise.

"Oh, if she were here, she'd just tell us to have mercy," Leo dismissed. "She'd say that for just about anyone. …Except maybe Hans, but still."

Camilla shrugged. "Either way, more of us are in favor than against it."

"Nuh-uh!" Elise countered. "You say Corrin's against it? Well, that makes two of us! And that means as many of us are against it as there are for it!" She smirked. "And Azura's vote doesn't count either way, since she's neutral!"

"…Not bad, Elise," Camilla complimented. "I suppose that leaves Xander's choice. Brother?"

"Hmm… I believe I've happened upon a compromise."

"Waaaah!"

SPLASH!

Xander dusted his palms, after throwing Shura into the water. "There. He might live, he might die. It's no longer our concern."

"That still seemed kind of mean…" Elise said, pouting. Xander shook his head.

"No it's fine. I put a rubber float… ring… thing around his waist, he should be fine."

"…Are you trying to say 'life preserver?'" Leo asked.

"Yes. The one with the duck head."

"I thought Corrin was in charge of this mission though!" argued Elise.

Azura gave her new little sister a sympathetic look. "Elise, sometimes the leader's too distracted to realize what's best for their people. Like Garon."

"Whoa, let's not say things like that, Azura," Xander nervously tugged at his collar. Azura merely shook her head.

At that point, Corrin, now a full-fledged Nohr Noble, walked up to her siblings. "Hey guys. What'd I miss?"

Without missing a beat, Xander answered. "We threw a traitor overboard and took his boots. You want them?"

"You did what?!"

"It's okay, he has an inflatable duck."

Chapter Text

After a seemingly uneventful trip, at least for Corrin, the ship had finally docked in a harbor close to Mokushu. They had docked in an underground bay near the forests of Mokushu. Corrin led the regiment through the forest and then into the catacombs.

This will be tricky. With a cause like mine and Azura's, I'm going to need as many allies as possible. I have to find a way to explain this to my siblings. Explaining it to Flora, Felicia and Jakob was easy, but it can't be that easy to tell the others…

…

Lilith was kind enough to allow Corrin, her servants, and Azura into the Astral Plane. Xander had just joined their group, depriving Corrin and Azura a place to discuss their secret, in addition to their deprivation of time.

"So…" Azura awkwardly started, "how are you all doing?"

"We don't have time for this!" Gunter called out. "Jakob, Felicia, Flora, listen up. We're giving you a choice. Lady Corrin, Lady Azura, and myself are all going to do something very dangerous: we're going to dethrone King Garon."

The maids gasped. Jakob merely shrugged. "Meh."

"Now, none of you are particularly loyal to Garon himself, so I think I can get away with telling you all that much."

Corrin nodded. "We can't say how, but we know Garon is being impersonated by someone else. If we can get him to sit on Queen Mikoto's throne, he'll reveal his true form, and maybe Nohr can finally move in the right direction!" She winced. "But we have to conquer Hoshido first… And that might not work. If something goes wrong, we'll all get killed, either by Hoshidans or angry Nohrians. So we're letting you leave now, if you'd like."

Jakob remained unshakable. "As though I would let you. Lady Corrin, since you are pulling off your most dangerous plan yet, I must be here to provide assistance. No exceptions."

"Yeah! I still believe in you, Lady Corrin!" Felicia balled her hands in determination. "Let's make sure Garon gets served! …Get it?"

Flora sighed. "You're becoming more like our father." She smiled. "And yes, I will be going too. I won't let anyone hurt you or my sister if I can help it, Corrin."

The princess smiled. "You guys… thank you so much."

"Defeat Garon? Sounds good," Kaze commented. Everyone turned around, surprised by the ninja.

"Kaze?! How'd you get here?!"

"Lilith brought me."

Corrin sputtered. "But… but I said… She was only to take me and my retainers-"

"I'm your retainer too, remember? Anyway, you can count me in for this plan. I presume we're not telling anyone else?"

"Anna somehow already knows," Azura stated. "But yeah. We might try to plant the idea in a few people's heads, but otherwise this is our little secret."

"I see."

Everyone began to head back, but Flora stopped Corrin. "Corrin… are you sure?"

The albino princess smiled. "Don't worry, Flora. I really doubt anything can go wrong on the Nohrian side of things. We just have to avoid hurting my Hoshidan family too much." She somberly looked away. "I appreciate this head start, but eventually Father will join us. Probably with his two favorite goons…"

"I've always hated Iago…"

"Everyone hates Iago! Garon hates Iago, even! I'm not even sure why he's still around, he's not even good at anything!"

Flora smirked. "Maybe Garon keeps him around as a jester?"

"Haha! Well then he's bad at that too! Haha!"

They shared a laugh.

…

"So we're going to meet the die-now soon, right?" Felicia asked.

"Daimyo," Leo corrected.

Corrin nodded. "That's right, Felicia."

"Mokushu…" Kaze took in the sights, drinking from a water bottle. "My brother always hated this place."

"That's because the daimyo's a jerk!" Anna told him. "Rumor has it, he went mad and started thinking he was some kind of… turtle, or something. I dunno."

Leo turned back, glaring at Anna. "Could you not badmouth the man we're supposed to be working with? What if his ninja hear us?"

Anna shrugged. "Eh, I'd say he doesn't deserve us."

"Listen you-"

"BWAHAHA! THIS IS KOTARO HERE!" bellowed a Ninja Master with dirty blonde hair. The entire group found themselves face to face with Kotaro at last. "Who were you expecting, the Tooth Fairy?!"

Corrin cleared her throat. "Um… Hey, Kotaro… sama?"

"Don't."

"Phew." Corrin then continued. "Greetings. We're the Nohrians, and-"

"That guy looks Hoshidan," Kotaro pointed out, gesturing toward Kaze.

"He does? Well, he's loyal to us, so-"

Kaze walked closer to Corrin. "To be fair, technically you're the only one I'm really loyal to."

"Uhh, Kaze? Not really the best time to say that."

"Relax, Lady Corrin, it's not as though I'd ever leave your new Nohrian siblings in peril. Just that you're the important one. To me."

Jakob nodded approvingly. "I like the way you think. Have we spoken?"

"…Yes. Remember? Back in Castle Krakenburg? You fought me while Lady Corrin and the other gentleman fought Rinkah?"

"Pah!" Jakob scowled. "You expect me to remember minutia from months ago?"

Xander cleared his throat. "Corrin? Are you going to reclaim control of this conversation?"

She sighed. "So anyway, Daimyo Kotaro-"

"Remember to keep your back straight, Corrin."

"Ugh…" Corrin corrected her posture. "Daimyo Kotaro-"

"Wait, why aren't you wearing the boots I found for you? It's quite improper to meet a fellow ruler barefoot!"

"Xander! I'm trying to schmooze Kotaro, okay?!"

Azura rolled her eyes and joined Corrin and Kaze in the front. "So Kotaro, are you gonna help us or what? Garon's got a date with Queen Mikoto's throne."

"Bwahaha! So Garon finally realized how great I am! What's in it for me?"

Corrin glanced around awkwardly. "…What did you have in mind? We had reports saying you wanted land for-"

"I want Princess Toadstool! That ninja lady was an impostor! I want the real one!"

Camilla protectively held Elise closer to herself, and Azura bravely responded. "Are… you asking for a rare mushroom or something?"

"NO! I want the princess!" Kotaro stomped away, motioning for everyone to follow. "Bah! Whatever, follow me!"

The Daimyo led the Nohrians into the caves of Mokushu, and left them alone for an extended period of time. Everyone just sort of stood around for a while.

"…Is that ninja fellow ever coming back?" Laslow asked. "…You think he has any lovely lady ninja with him?"

"Laslow, if I catch wind of you harassing the locals, then so help me…" Xander was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Er, sorry about that, milord."

Tickticktickticktick

Everyone looked over and saw a tiny, vaguely humanoid figure sliding across the floor, in their direction. This little, wooden man was soon joined by several copies of himself.

Felicia smiled. "Aww, they're adorable! And a little creepy… But mostly adorable!" The little men then pulled out bows and drew the strings, ready to fire arrows. Felicia's smile disappeared. "Okay, now they're only creepy."

The automata fired their arrows, but everyone managed to get out of the way in time.

"Graaah! Lousy little robots!" Kotaro appeared, riding in a white bowl with a clown face drawn on. Said bowl was carried by more of the robots. "If only that red ninja didn't kill most of my soldiers!"

Kaze sighed. "Great… Saizo's here."

"Aha! You know him! I knew I was right not to trust you!" Kotaro called. "Bwahaha! I'm gonna brutalize all of you, just you wait!"

With that, Kotaro's henchmen carried him away, leaving the Nohrians at the mercy of the incompetent archer automata. Camilla glared at Kaze.

"Nice going, Mr. Ninja."

Xander stepped closer to Kaze and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on there, Camilla. I'll need you to not cast suspicion on my new 'amigo', as the Hoshidans say."

"That's not a Hoshidan word."

"Shush, Kaze. I'm speaking for you."

"Ugh. I did not set this up, it's not true! It's a lie! I did not set this up! I did not!" Kaze threw down his water bottle.

"Kaze?!" a familiar voice caught everyone else's attention. It was Saizo. "Why are you here?!"

"Oh hi Saizo," the green-haired Ninja Master greeted with a simple nod. "I have problem with my new friends, they think I'm setting them up!"

"What? Well, did you?"

"No it's not true, don't even ask. What's new with you?"

Saizo nodded. "I was just thinking, you know? I've got a question for you. You think Mokushujin ninja kill Hoshidan ones?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm just thinking."

Kaze shrugged. "I don't have to worry about that, because… Actually I do. Okay forget this whole bit- Saizo, what's going on?"

The one-eyed ninja glared at all of Kaze's friends. "I don't feel like telling you Nohrians a thing."

"Saizo, don't be racist."

"Aren't you invading right now or something?!"

All of Kaze's allies nervously looked around, with some trying to innocently whistle. Jakob merely shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Listen to me, Kaze! Kotaro killed our father! And when I found out, I tried to kill him! And then he cut out my eye!"

Kaze gasped. "That was always your favorite eye!" He turned around. "Lady Corrin, Lord Xander, is it all right if we help my brother get revenge? I mean, Kotaro did try to kill us a few minutes ago…"

The Nohrians all awkwardly nodded. Xander then folded his arms behind his back. "Yeah, this partnership with Kotaro isn't working out. He is very dishonorable, and it would be in our best interests to subdue him. Let's move out!"

Corrin tilted her head. "Uh, what? Xander, I thought you were letting me be in charge."

"Oh, sorry." Xander leaned in to whisper. "Tell everyone to move out."

Corrin sighed.

Over Corrin's protest, Xander advised that everyone split up into teams. They would cover more ground, but the teams would need to watch each other's backs. Being on a ninja's bad side in their home territory was one of the most dangerous places a Nohrian could be.

Corrin and Azura went with Elise. Meanwhile, three of Corrin's servants ended up grouping together. Camila, Xander and Beruka followed Kaze, himself following his brother. Everyone else was just left to themselves.

"We're in trouble now, Corrin."

"I should have known this would happen eventually," Corrin admitted.

The two barefoot women were trapped. Caltrops were spread on the floor all around them. After taking a moment to survey the situation, Corrin snapped her fingers. "I've got it! I'll put on those boots Xander took from that one guy, and I can carry you to safety!"

"My, aren't you handsy?" Azura teased. "And actually volunteering to put on shoes? Are you sure you're the real Corrin?"

The princess sighed. "It's a comfort thing, all right?! I went so long in the fortress without needing shoes that I never bothered! I don't even mind the dirt! I didn't think I would have to justify it to you of all people!" Corrin said, pointing at Azura's feet. "Now that we're on the subject, why are you always going around in that fancy dress? Are you just expecting to hop onstage at any moment or what?!"

"…Are you done?"

"Yeah I think so."

Thus Corrin donned Shura's stolen boots and carefully navigated the field of caltrops. Corrin mostly just kicked them away, as they were loosely set and actually quite dull. After a few moments, the women were free. Ahead of them was Elise, throwing fireballs at automata from atop her horse.

"Heehee! Magic is fun!"

Corrin gave Azura a look. "Azura… I have to tell her."

"She's not going to believe us."

"I have to try."

"Will you at least put me down first?"

Corrin set her friend down and approached Elise. "Hey, Elise… What do you think of Father? Be honest."

The young princess turned back to face Corrin, eyebrow quirked. "Huh? Oh, I think an evil cowboy killed him and replaced him when no one was looking." Both Corrin and Azura gave each other startled glances. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Wanna see my 'fan fictions' about it?"

…This might be easier than I thought.

Saizo was cutting through the automata like a hot knife through butter, as was a certain Wyvern Lord with blue hair. Saizo stole a glance at his unwanted assistant. Beruka stared right back.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

From afar, Camilla watched fondly. "Aww, my little Beruka is socializing!"

Xander blinked. "Uh, yeah… Let's call it that." He turned over. "Kaze, can we trust your brother?"

"Oh Saizo definitely hates all of you," the ninja admitted. "But he's not petty or stupid enough to use this team-up as a chance to blindside any of us. We weren't particularly close growing up, but I know that much about him."

Camilla frowned. "Oh poor Kaze! You and your brother weren't able to get along growing up?" She reached out from her mounted position to pat Kaze on the shoulder. "There, there, I know all about that sort of thing."

"Um..." Kaze was not sure what to make of this. "Thanks? Anyway, let's carry on."

Kaze went off to follow his brother and Beruka as they navigated a field of caltrops ahead. Camilla readied her wyvern to fly across, leaving Xander and his horse alone.

"… I don't suppose you can cross that?" Xander asked his horse. "…Thought not."

Felicia was nervously looking around. "Aw, how'd I get separated from Flora and Jakob? I'm always standing by at least one of them, so how'd this happen?"

Laslow slid up to her. "Why hello there, Felicia. How are you on this fine day?"

The maid turned and gave the Hero a confused look. "Is… is this my turn? You're finally going after me? Did you run out?"

The gray-haired man feigned shock. "Why, you wound me, Felicia! I was merely interested to know how your day was progressing!"

"Well, I was just thinking about how I don't have a lot of friends outside Lady Corrin's other servants." Felicia looked upward, as if to recall specific instances of her friends' behavior. "My sister and Gunter usually keep to themselves. And Jakob actively tries to repel people."

…

"Messy, messy, messy…" Flora muttered as she and her inexplicable broom took care of another set of caltrops. "How do these ninja not hurt themselves by leaving something this dangerous lying out?"

"Completely unprofessional," assessed Jakob, taking a cue from Flora.

Gunter looked around, warily. "Do you two feel like… you're being talked about?"

"Not really."

"Are you going senile on us, old man?"

…

"I want to talk to people, but I'm too shy!"

The man nodded. "Then it's clear. I believe my father said these same words to my mother once: 'I shall teach you… everything!'" He blinked. "You know, you remind me of my mother, now that I think of it." Then the wind was taken from Laslow's sail. "Wait…"

"…Thanks?"

A little automaton wheeled across the cavern. It had a saw for a hand. The mechanical man made a move for Felicia from behind, but she sensed the danger and quickly flung a dagger through the offender's torso, stopping it.

"Hmm…" Laslow went over to the automaton and picked it up. "Quick! Talk to this man! Pretend he's a stranger!"

"What? Uh, okay?" Felicia cleared her throat and looked at the more-creepy-than-endearing broken automaton. "Hi… sir? My name is Felicia! Who are you?"

Laslow shook his head. "No, no, try a different approach. Here…" He shoved the automaton into Felicia's hands, and then cleared his throat.

"Hi there, everybody. This is Laslow, from Emblem. Did you know… my favorite things are… dating into different cafes. Bad dancing. Tea without any sugar. The newest opera from Cyrkensia. Aaaaand dirt. See you in Revelation, everybody!"

Felicia blinked. "…Now I can tell why you don't get a lot of dates."

"What? But that was perfect!"

"Laslow! Felicia!" Leo called, his horse riding up to the pair. "Don't you think we ought to be proceeding through the caves?"

"Uh, oh yeah…"

"Quite…"

Corrin, Azura and Elise came upon the sight of Sieghorse, but with no rider. As it happened, Xander was kneeling on the ground nearby, carefully moving caltrops out of the way for his horse's safe passage.

"Um… Xander?" Azura asked.

"Yes?"

"We were wondering… What do you think is the reason for King Garon's change in behavior?"

The prince shrugged, still minding his task. "Midlife crisis, I'd say." He looked up. "Wait… How old is Father, even? Huh…"

Corrin winced. "I have a feeling he'll be the hardest to convince." Not to mention, Elise doesn't even know the whole story…

…

"Of course I've theorized about it!" Elise said. "You think growing up, hearing about how great Father used to be, and seeing him act completely different wouldn't make me curious?"

"…Fair point," Azura admitted.

"Cassita told me all about it! Father had too many girlfriends, and they all became my mom and Leo's mom and Camilla's mom, and the moms of a lot of siblings we could've had, but don't," Elise explained, enthusiastic over finally sharing her pet theory. "So when Father got sad about it, he was jumped by his evil redneck twin brother, and got replaced!"

Corrin took a moment to wince at how excitedly Elise theorized Garon's death. The songstress dumbly looked back and forth between her similarly confused friend and the bombastic storyteller.

"Well… parts of that are right." Azura stepped closer to Elise's horse. "Do you remember when you spoke to Gunter while you were sick?" Elise nodded. "And do you remember how Corrin and I disappeared from Cyrkensia, and came back with Gunter?"

"No."

"Oh? Well we did."

Corrin nodded. "We found Gunter, and…" She glanced around, trying to find the best phrasing, "and Gunter had discovered that our King Garon is an impostor."

Elise hammered her fist. "I knew it! My theories were right! I gotta find Leo!" Before Elise could ride away, Corrin walked in front of the horse.

"Hold on, Elise! Are you really sure you believe us? We don't even have proof! It was destroyed!"

The princess shrugged. "Weeell… it does sound unusual. But why would the two of you lie to me?"

Azura smiled. No one had ever just plainly accepted her or anything she had to say before.

"We can't just tell everyone Garon's a fake, though, or we'll get in big trouble," Corrin told her little sister.

"Not even Leo?"

Azura shook her head. "We need to prove it, first. We need to have Garon sit on the queen's throne."

"Why, are we gonna put one of those fart cushions on it?"

"What? No… why would… how would we… those aren't…" Sigh. "The throne dispels lies. It's enchanted. I know this from my time in Hoshido. It'll show everyone Garon's true form."

"Why can't we just take off his disguise while he's asleep or something?" asked the princess. Azura winced.

"It's… a really… good disguise…"

"Well, okay…" Elise looked unsure. "Am I the only one you told?"

This time, Corrin spoke. "No. I had to tell Flora, Felicia and Jakob. Coming from me and Gunter, there's no way they'd disbelieve it. And then Kaze was apparently right there, and I didn't notice…"

"And Anna seemed to somehow know already…" Azura added.

"Aww! I wanted to be the first to know!"

…

Corrin, Elise and Azura were still watching Xander pick up the caltrops. The youngest princess broke the silence. "Xander, couldn't you just take another path through the cave?"

The prince grimly kept his eyes on his work. "Perhaps. But I've already invested much time in clearing this path."

"But what if something happens, Xander? The others might need you up ahead!"

"Then I'll have to pick up the pace. A good man finishes what he starts, Elise."

"Ugh!"

"I heard that, young lady!" He stopped his task to sternly gaze at Elise. "We're out in the field now, Elise. There's no time to act like a child."

"I've been on the field plenty, Xander! Especially the dance floor!" Corrin and Azura immediately turned to Elise. She caught this and shrugged. "What? Nohrian dance-offs are very intense!"

"I'll concede that much," Xander said.

Saizo was on his knees, a look of despair in his eye.

"No… no…"

Silas walked up and pat Saizo's shoulder. "Hey buddy, what's up?"

"NOOOOOOO!" Saizo inadvertently swatted Silas away in order to flail about. "Someone killed him before I had the chance!"

Kaze, who was standing alongside Saizo, walked over into the Daimyo's throne room. Indeed, Kotaro was only a corpse, with several arrows sticking out of him. A note was placed on the throne, and Kaze read it.

"Dear Mokushujin, Ha-ha-ha. Ha-ha. Ha-ha-ha. Haha. Ha. Love, the sole survivor of Kohga. P.S.: I took Kotaro's boots. Mine were stolen." Kaze took a quick look at the fallen ninja, and saw that he was indeed barefoot at that time. "Wow. A guy so horrible, that two completely unrelated people had a vendetta against him. That's how you know you're an awful person."

The ninja Kagero then walked into the room.

"Kaze? What are you doing here?"

"Oh hey Kagero. Me and my new Nohrian friends came to talk to Kotaro, but he tried to kill us. And he's dead now."

Kagero looked over and saw Camilla, Beruka, Silas and Saizo standing together at the room's entrance. Only Silas waved at her. "Well, Kotaro had kept me prisoner. I got out, but if he's dead, there's nothing else I can- Wait… are you all invading?!"

Kaze's eyes nervously shifted. "Um… 'Invading' is a strong word…"

"Ugh! This is really happening, isn't it?"

The green-haired ninja grimaced. He would like to tell Kagero about Corrin and Azura's plan, but to do so in front of Camilla would quickly get Beruka sent over to take him out. If Camilla did not do the deed herself, or if Kagero would even believe him.

"What a mess." The female ninja called to her colleague, "Saizo, let's go! Lord Ryoma needs to hear about this!"

"But… my revenge!"

"Now, Saizo!"

The red ninja rolled his eye. "Oh fine. Kaze, when we inevitably clash, come fight me directly. I don't trust anyone else to kill you humanely as I would. And I would hope vice versa, should I lose."

"Saizo, can you maybe not talk like that?"

Not answering, Saizo threw down a smoke bomb. Coughing and waving away the smoke, Kaze (and the corpse of Kotaro) were then the only remaining ninja in the room.

Camilla shook her head, and then turned to her retainer. "Beruka, we should find my siblings and tell them the news. We were really counting on Kotaro's aid. I guess we'll go with Plan B and try to win over the Archduke of Izumo. That place should be nearby."

"Understood."

"… It's not over yet," Kaze said. He looked skyward, before turning his gaze at the item in his hand. It was a Speedwing. "We had a truce, but Saizo will definitely go all-out on our next meeting."

"So why'd he give you a present?" Silas asked.

"I've long stopped trying to figure my brother out."

Silas put a finger to his chin. "So… how do you think we'd do in a fight with him?"

Kaze turned around in order to evaluate his allies. "Hmm… Well, he and I are fairly even in skill…" He pointed to Camilla. "You could hold your own." Then Beruka. "You might have difficulty, but it could go either way." Then Silas. "You would definitely die."

"Awww!"

Chapter Text

"Wow, Izumo is so beautiful," Corrin said in a hushed tone. Azura nodded, enjoying the scenery herself.

Gunter had his arms folded behind his back, currently doing without his horse. "Izumo is neutral, but we must be on our best behavior all the same. So remember to make a good first impression."

Corrin turned to face her knight, smiling. "I'm not worried at all."

Keaton walked up to Corrin and put an arm around her shoulder. There was a bone sticking out of his mouth. "Hey pals, anyone wanna see this dead guy I found? He was nothing but bones, it was amazing!" He nervously looked around. "I… might have helped myself to one of them…"

Gunter sighed.

"Yo homies wazzup? Welcome to Izana's pad!"

Everyone stood silently before Lord Izana himself. Only Leo seemed to have a response.

"Well, we're two for two on being accommodated by complete lunatics," he said with a smug grin. "Let's visit the Wind Tribe next, I hear they have a ball pit."

Camilla grimaced. "I'm uncomfortable. We should leave."

"Yo don't be rude, homies! I am the host with the most!"

Xander held up his hands. "Archduke Izana, we mean you no harm. Do you struggle with Nohrian? My friend Kaze has been teaching me Hoshidan, perhaps we can try that." The prince immediately cleared his throat. "Buenas tardes, mi amigo. Estas bien?"

Kaze sunk his head into his palms.

"It's a'ight Xander, we cool!"

Elise shrugged. "I don't know what you're all freaking out about, he seems like a great guy!"

"Up high, Princess Elise!" Izana came closer to Elise and extended his palm. "C'mon, don't leave me hanging!"

As Elise left Izana hanging, Azura took it upon herself to salvage this conversation. "So Archduke Izana, we were wondering if you'd be interested in assisting our invasion."

"Nah playa, Izumo is neutral! In fact, it's convenient you're all here," Izana said. "Because I got the Hoshidan royal family showing up too!"

Corrin and Azura's hearts sank in unison. Everyone else seemed vaguely disinterested.

"…You're joking. Right?" Azura asked.

"Right this way, people." Everyone found a servant leading Prince Ryoma into the room. Corrin and Ryoma's eyes met.

"Kamui?!"

"Oh… Hi, Ryoma…"

But that was not enough. With Ryoma were Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura. Everyone stared at each other in shock, though in Takumi's case it was more of a brutal death glare. If looks could kill, Corrin would be a stain on the floor, with assorted limbs strewn about. Izana, of course, ignored this. "Yep, we all have to chill under one roof tonight! The invaders and the invaded! And me! Hit the music!"

Silas looked over. "Wait, what?"

(laugh track)

[Exterior: A sweeping aerial view of Izumo, followed by a view of Izana's Palace. Followed by a montage of everyone acting in character, until they notice an ostensible cameraman and smile. Even Takumi. Upbeat music is playing.]

FAMILY ISSUES

Crazy Albino Lady: Corrin…
"It's a rare condition, in this day and age-"

Quiet Jerk: Azura…
"-to read any good news on a newspaper page."

Overly Protective Brothers: Xander and Ryoma…
"Love and tradition, of the grand design-"

Ambiguously Amorous Sisters: Camilla and Hinoka…
"-some people say is even harder to find."

Cynical Younger Brothers: Leo and Takumi…
"Well then there must be some magic clue-"

Diabetes-Inducing Sisters: Elise and Sakura…
"-inside these gentle walls!"

The Family Dog: Keaton…
"'Cause all I see is a tower of dreams-"

And Izana, as himself!
"-real love burstin' out of every seam!"

"AS THE DAYS GO BY! We're gonna fill our house with happiness!"
[Montage of everyone trying to kill each other]

"THE MOON MAY CRY! But we'll smother the blues with tenderness!"
[Montage of Corrin's troops squabbling]

"DAYS GO BY, there's room for you, room for me, for gentle hearts an opportunity!"
[Montage of the Nohrian family bonding]

"AS THE DAYS GO BY… it's the bigger love of the family…"
[Izana happily hosts the royals, all glaring at each other.]

[External shot of Izumo at sunset.]

Executive Producer: Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik

Leo was minding his own business and walked through a courtyard, until he happened upon Takumi practicing archery. He noticed that the targets all had drawings of the Nohrian insignia, while the other had poorly drawn faces with long hair and pointed ears.

"…So you're the other prince, right? Prince Takumi?"

"GRRRRRRR!"

"Oh, oh wow, no I am not sticking around for this conversation. Have fun."

Camilla and Hinoka were awkwardly sharing a sitting room together, with Camilla clearly not used to sitting on her knees. "Hmm… This armor wasn't meant for this…"

"You call that armor?" Hinoka accused. "Then why does it leave so many sensitive spots vulnerable? What kind of fighter are you?!"

The purple-haired woman gave her red-haired counterpart a smug look. "I seem to recall you losing, back in the Sevenfold Sanctuary. But enough about that. We're in Izana's territory, so there's no need to trade barbs. Unless you start it. Let's talk about other things."

"You mean like how Kamui should have been raised with us?!"

Camilla shook her head. "More like sewing. Do you like sewing?"

"…No."

"Well it's never too late to learn. Would you like me to show you?"

Hinoka sighed. "Whatever."

Sakura wandered down a hall to look for Corrin, when Elise's voice made her turn around. "Stop right there, you little hoochee!"

"Wh-what did you call me?"

"…I actually don't know," Elise admitted with a shrug. "Niles taught me that word. But anyway, I see what you're doing! You want to win Corrin back!"

Sakura lowered her head. "O-oh… I'm sorry…"

The Nohrian princess smugly folded her arms. "It's okay, now you know. Now go and do… Hoshidan things."

The pink-haired princess began to sniffle. "I… I just miss my big sister…"

"What?! You already have a big sister!"

"B-b-but-" Sakura seemed seconds away from having a panic attack. "I just meant…"

Elise shook her head and waved her hands, as if setting down the rules. "Look. After we defeat the evil cowboy monster replacing my father, maybe you can talk to Corrin again."

Then confusion replaced despondence. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me!"

Suddenly, Leo appeared. "Hey Elise, can I join this conversation? My counterpart is- Oh hello." He smiled. "Which princess is this again?"

Elise turned around, and Sakura snuck off. "Leo, stop butting into conversations! This is why Niles and Odin are your only friends!"

"They're not my only friends!"

Elise was confident. "Really? Name two more friends."

"Gladly. First, there's… Um-"

(laugh track)

"Be quiet, I'm thinking!" Leo scolded. But then his face changed. "Wait, what were you talking about before I rounded the corner? A… cowboy monster replacing our father?"

Elise's heart skipped a beat. "Huh?! O-oh, you… you must've misheard me! I was just talking about… Corrin's secret plan! WAIT NO I WASN'T!"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "I think we need to talk, Elise."

Finally, Corrin was standing in an empty room, thinking to herself.

Okay… I haven't been allowed near my other family without my Nohrian siblings keeping an eye on me. Where'd Azura go? She could help. The others don't seem as protective of her.

"Little Princess?" Xander worriedly asked, poking his head into the room.

"Aaah! You surprised me…"

The prince chuckled as he walked into the room. "Apologies. You've been on edge since we'd arrived, so I got worried."

"Well… yeah!" Corrin frowned at her big brother. "Xander, I know our situation, but… Haven't you once thought about this from my perspective? You know I love all of you, but it wasn't easy to make that choice."

Xander shrugged. "Seemed easy to me. If I were in your position, I would have easily sided with the family who'd raised me. It's unfortunate for the Hoshidans, yes, but that's life."

"It's… Ugh. Nothing good has come from this war," Corrin lamented. "I love Nohr, but do we need this much bloodshed?"

"Corrin… I think-"

"GUESS WHO!"

The siblings turned to find Ryoma in the doorway. The Nohrian glared. "It's you."

"IT'S ME! GOODBYE!"

Ryoma tackled Xander, knocking him away from Corrin. "Hello, Kamui. It is I, your better older brother. Nice armor. Is it Nohrian? Nohrian armor is tasteless in design, but you pull it off well. Must be due to your noble Hoshidan lineage? Eh? Eh?"

Corrin sighed.

"Eh?"

Xander recovered. "Enough, you crustacean."

"I have nothing to say to you, cur." Ryoma stared coldly. "You'd regret fighting me. It would be brutal. I'd wait in place for 25 minutes before finally attacking!"

Then Xander blinked. "…Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why would you stand still for that long? Why not fight me immediately?"

"Because… Bushido… and… things."

"Right…"

Corrin sighed. "It's too bad we can't take advantage of this neutral situation." She feigned defeat. "Yep. Too bad we can't discuss matters civilly. Guess we'll just waste lives and resources on a war." No reaction. "You know what? I've seen a lot of ways that Nohr and Hoshido are similar." I wonder if I can put the idea in Xander's head… "In fact, if one didn't know better, one might think Father was the only reason for this war."

"Father is a glorious paragon, Corrin," Xander scolded. "He's perfect!"

"No, Subaki is perfect!" countered Ryoma.

Corrin winced. Every time Nohrian officials had described Garon, they would inevitably concede that he was despicable. But apparently not Xander. Gods! What's it gonna take?!

"'Sup playas!" Izana's presence snapped the three royals from their thoughts. "This be nice, but we're done here. Guards, show Ryoma we mean business!"

Immediately, Nohrian Generals appeared and restrained Ryoma. "What's going on here?! An ambush?! You fiends!"

"Hey, I didn't know about this!" Xander admitted. "Still hate you, but I am interested in fairness."

The guards dragged Ryoma away, and Izana cackled. With a puff of smoke, it was revealed that 'Izana' was actually a Nohrian Dark Mage in red clothes. Xander narrowed his eyes. "Zola… Father's least favorite court mage."

"Lord Xander my homie-"

"Quit with the absurd speech patterns!" Xander threatened.

"Oh fine, so I thought I'd exaggerate my Izana performance. But it was a very minor exaggeration!"

Corrin blinked. "What's this about?"

"Oh, it's simple, really," Zola said pleasantly. "About a month ago, I broke in, locked Izana up, impersonated him, and lured the Hoshidans into a trap. Brilliant, right?"

She gasped. "Zola, that's dirty!"

"We're in a war!"

"But to drag Izumo into this…" Xander shook his head. "You've hit a new low. What will the other neutral territories think?"

"Whatever! I'm off to prepare the execution! Hoohoohoo! Death awaits! I bet the littlest one is crying right now!"

Corrin tightened her fists. "So help me, Zola…!"

...

Sakura was sniffling.

"Y-your onion smells fine, Hinoka… It's making my eyes teary, though."

"Oh, sorry."

…

Zola waved his hands and vanished. Corrin worriedly looked to Xander. "I know what you're thinking, but we have to save them!"

Xander put a finger to his chin. "…As much as it would help our conquest, I agree that Zola's plan is dishonorable." The prince smiled toward his little sister. "And though I pledged loyalty to Father… he isn't here, is he?"

The smile proved infectious. "…No, no he's not."

As Corrin and Xander ran through the halls, a team of Nohrian Generals ambushed them. Xander glowered at them all. "I order you all to stand down!"

"Yeeeah, see… Zola said we'd get raises if we followed his plan… so we're just gonna kill you guys and use that as a reason to execute the Hoshidans."

Corrin gasped. "How dare…"

Suddenly, Jakob walked up to one of the Generals and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around. "Yeah, what do you want?!"

"This." Jakob jabbed a dagger through the face hole in the General's helmet.

"OHHHHHHH!"

Before the other Generals could harm Jakob, Kaze materialized and struck down another, while a few arrows took out the remaining Generals. Corrin and Xander looked, finding that Anna had done the deed. The three then gathered closer to Xander and Corrin. Kaze smiled.

"How may we help, Lady Corrin?"

Corrin looked around. "Find where they're keeping the Hoshidan royal family, and set them free. Zola and his men have gone too far. Do you know where anyone else is right now?"

Jakob pointed into the distance. "Felicia followed Flora into the kitchen. The old man already told us about the situation and went to inform your other siblings. And I'm sure Keaton is off being a mongrel somewhere."

"And Silas…" Anna trailed off. "Actually, I don't know where he went. Let's not worry about it."

"Okay… Jakob, Anna, you go with Kaze. Xander and I will grab Felicia and Flora, then find Zola."

Keaton walked up to a pair of Generals blocking a door. "Hey! You guys got food in there?"

"Hah! Only if you'd eat the Hoshidan royal family!"

The Wolfssegner stood still for a minute. "…Well, I'd try anything once…"

Jakob powerwalked up to the scene, with Anna and Kaze covering him from behind. "You two! Release those prisoners at once!"

"Ha! And what are you gonna do if we don't, butler man?" Jakob glared, but Keaton stepped between him and the Generals.

"Nah, don't worry about it, man. Watch this! Aroooooo!" Keaton belted out a howl, assuming his monster form. "Hunting Party!" Immediately, the wolf monster ran over to the Generals and picked them both up in his meaty arms. He smashed the two together repeatedly before throwing them aside.

Anna whistled in awe. "Dang. Can we just let this guy fight the war for us? I think we'd still win!"

Kaze casually walked past Jakob and Keaton and prepared to unlock the door. "Okay, everyone. Let's try not to antagonize the royals, okay? They're not likely to trust us."

"Well we are going to invade them, soon," Anna reminded the ninja. "Say, you think we could tell them about Corrin's plan?"

"The plan?" Keaton repeated. Anna gave him a look.

"You know about the plan, Keaton! I've told you this!"

"You told Keaton?!" Jakob asked.

"Well yeah! We can trust Keaton!"

"Yeah, you can trust me! …What was the plan, again?"

"Anyway," Kaze interrupted the conversation, "they would never believe us, nor would the panicked Hoshidan public believe them. Especially not if they see me as a traitor. We'll just have to let this play out."

Xander miraculously found his horse and began riding through the halls, taking down any challenger. Behind him, Corrin and Felicia were dragging Flora by her hands. "Corrin, I had to help them! They don't know what this army likes to eat! Ack! I'm seeing mud on the floor! Is Lord Xander's horse tracking mud?!"

Felicia looked over. "Geez, calm down, Flora! We gotta stop the evil rapping wizard from killing Lady Corrin's Hoshidan family!"

"We need you focused, Flora!"

"But… the mud…"

"Just… uh… Zola did it!" Corrin lied. "He left a big mud puddle for Sieghorse to run through!"

Flora sighed. "You're a horrible liar, Corrin."

Finally, Xander, Corrin and the maids made it to Izana's throne room, where Zola was sitting. "Aaah! Why are you still alive?!"

"Because we know how to fight, instead of hiding behind Generals," Xander answered. He pointed Siegfried in the sorcerer's direction. "This is your one and only chance to surrender, Zola! We will make your execution quick and painless if you do."

Corrin gasped. "Xander, do we really have to kill him?!"

"Yes, Corrin." The prince kept his eyes trained on Zola, yet spoke to Corrin. "He will tell Father about this, if we allow him to live."

"What if we trap him in Lilith's realm?"

Xander finally broke concentration and turned to Corrin. "Wait, does this have to do with Lilith being a dragon or something? How does that work, anyw-"

"FIMBULVETR!" Zola took the opportunity and shot ice shards at Xander.

"Aaaah!"

"Hoyhoyhoyhoy!"

Felicia gasped. "He used ice magic! He must be from our village!"

"No, he clearly just used an Ice Tome," Flora explained. "But still, that means we can beat him at his own game!"

Zola looked over. "Why are those maids talking like they stand a chance? And why do I believe them?"

Flora and Felicia both held out the arms and shouted at once, "Freeze!"

Harsh, cold winds flew toward Zola, forcing him to shut his eyes. He began to flail in an attempt to move out of the wind, but then ice appeared on his body. Soon, he was completely encased in ice.

"Well, I guess that takes care of Zola," said Corrin.

Camilla's voice interrupted. "Not quite. HA!"

Suddenly, a fireball flew through the air over Corrin's head and homed in on Zola, melting the ice- and the man himself.

"THIS IS HOTTER THAN MY ALBUMS! PEACE OOOOOOOOOUT!"

Corrin winced, as Camilla obliviously walked up rested a hand on her shoulder. "There we go. I took care of the bad man for you, Corrin." She looked over. "Honestly, you're better than that, Xander."

"…Silence."

Meanwhile Felicia shivered. "I don't know why, but watching him burn to death just gave me a horrible feeling…"

"It was rather brutal," Flora said.

"No, I mean… You ever get déjà vu for something that definitely never happened?"

"Um, no…"

The half-dragon sighed. "I suppose it was unavoidable…"

"Look on the bright side," Camilla told her, "apparently Lord Izana was kept locked up with the Hoshidans, and we saved him! He's sure to think highly of Nohr now!"

"After Nohrians took him hostage?" Flora countered. "I'd say it's a wash."

Later that night, all the Nohrians and Izumites were invited to a feast, held by Izana himself. At the largest table, the Archduke sat with the royals from both families. And Azura. Corrin observed, for the first time, that Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura were in different clothes. They had found their own Master Seals.

"Azura, where were you this whole time?" Corrin asked.

"I fell asleep."

"Ugh…"

Takumi was still giving all the Nohrians an intense death glare. It was almost as though Oboro were giving him lessons. "I'm not thankful! I hate you all! You're evil! You should all die!"

Izana giggled. "Haha, easy there, Prince Takumi! You gotta enjoy life, man!"

"SILENCE!"

Even Ryoma and Hinoka were getting a little uncomfortable. The princess cleared her throat. "Anyway… yeah, you really should've kept a better eye on that wizard of yours."

"Honestly, we tended to forget Zola even existed, when he was with us at the castle," Camilla admitted.

Corrin sheepishly looked at her Hoshidan family. "Um… I'm glad you guys are safe…"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO US?!" Takumi raged. Ryoma looked at him.

"Can you not?"

Izana looked at Takumi with curiosity, yet said nothing. Then Corrin cleared her throat. "Uh, anyway… Despite how weird it is that we're all eating a meal together, I'm glad we are." She smiled sadly. "It's… nice to spend time with all nine of you."

"Ohoho! You flatter me, Princess Corrin! We've only just met!" Izana stated. Corrin frowned.

"Um… Actually, Azura was the ninth."

The songstress smiled for once. "Hey, thanks Corrin. That was nice of you."

"I-I'm glad, too," Sakura said. "E-even though I don't agree with your decision… y-you seem happy, Kamui." Sakura was giving a small smile. Until Takumi ruined it.

"Yeah, happy that she's not with us! Because she hates us!"

"No, that's not it!" Corrin tried to defend herself. "Look, I-"

"Hold on," Xander interrupted. "Corrin, you feel the need to justify yourself? What for? You did nothing wrong."

"Well… you have to admit; it was at least a little bit of a gray area…"

"No it wasn't."

Corrin sighed. "Well… that's just your opinion."

"That's what people say when they know they've lost, Corrin."

She ignored Xander. "Sakura, don't listen to them, I'm actually happy to see you."

Sakura smiled again, but then Elise ruined that too. "No! I told you! You can wait until after we invade you before you get to have family time with Corrin!"

Leo glared. "Elise, could you perhaps not yell at the cute one? UH I meant… the… mute one. She's, uh, so quiet, you can hardly tell she's talking… heh… heh… You all bought that, right?"

Ryoma had a look of clarity. "Wait… invasion… SHOOT!" He quickly grabbed his plate's food in his hands and shoved it all into his mouth. He swallowed it and stood up. "We have to go prepare for the invasion! Sakura! Takumi! Hinoka! Let's go!"

Ryoma bolted out of the room. Sakura squeaked in fear, when Hinoka stood up and took her out of the room. Takumi followed, but never broke eye contact with Corrin… until he tripped.

(laugh track)

The next day, everyone was all set to leave the palace.

"WAAAAAAIT!" Everyone turned around and saw Izana running up to meet them. "You guys saved my life! How's about I join you? It'll be fun! I can tell you all about Hoshidan things!"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Is that to say that Izumo will lend its support to Nohr?"

"Naaaah! It's just me! I can't let my people run into battle unprepared!" Izana explained. "Besides, I'm… interested in a few things, and helping you guys will answer my questions! Like that pineapple kid. Something's up with him, it's cra-zy! So whaddaya say?"

Corrin looked around. Everyone had mixed expressions. Her siblings in particular looked unsavory toward the idea. But then, she remembered how they threw a potential ally off the boat without even bothering to ask her.

"Welcome aboard, Izana!"

"Coolio! My magic will help you guys big time! Now let's go invade my neighbors! I know a shortcut through the forest!"

Chapter Text

Xander and Camilla had sent messages to Windmire, explaining the situation regarding Mokushu. They also crafted a lie for why Zola would not be assisting in the invasion. Eventually, word got back to the invaders. With their new ally, Corrin's troops were to make their way to Fort Jinya. It would be a long road from Izumo to Fort Jinya, and in the meantime, people were adjusting to Izana's… presence.

"Hey guys! Anyone wanna have their fortunes told?!" He was met with a group sigh. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"All right guys, I think we can stop here for a while," Corrin said. Everyone let out another sigh, this one of relief.

As everyone went about their business, Leo approached Corrin and Flora, clearing his throat. Corrin noticed him first.

"Oh, what is it Leo?"

Leo looked over at Flora. "Could you give us some privacy, Flora?"

Corrin and Flora looked at each other, and Corrin nodded. Flora returned the nod and walked away. "Okay, what did you want to talk about?"

"I overheard Elise mentioning something interesting to the younger Hoshidan princess," Leo began.

"Sakura? Was Elise telling her that you like her?"

"Aaah! Corrin, this is serious!" Leo blurted out, before recomposing himself. "Elise mentioned something about a monster replacing our father. And when I pressed her, she implied… No, she flat-out told me that you and Azura knew something about that. What am I missing?"

Corrin screamed internally. WHAT?! Elise, that was a secret! We told her not to tell anyone! Ugh, I should've known this would happen! Maybe Azura can help. "Well… Let's go get Azura, and-"

"No, Corrin. I'd rather hear you explain it in your own words. You are leading this operation, after all."

"…And you're absolutely sure you don't want Azura to be here for this?"

"Sister…"

"Oh, fine," Corrin sighed. She stepped closer to Leo and put her hands on his shoulders. "Leo… Father is…" Okay, Corrin. This might be the trickiest conversation you'll ever have. You need to tread carefully! "Father is… a victim."

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't really know how it came to be, but Father is being impersonated by a warmongering monster. So Azura, Gunter and I-"

"The princess who was raised in Hoshido, the knight who openly hates Father, and the princess who Father is always doubting…"

"Yes," Corrin acknowledged, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, we figured that if we could allow the fake Garon to sit on Queen Mikoto's enchanted throne, everyone would see the truth, and maybe we could get something done about the impostor."

Leo blinked.

"…"

"Leo?"

"That… is not the craziest story you've told me. But that's still bizarre."

"Leo, why would I make up a lie like that?"

"Because you don't want to tell me the truth and didn't have a lie prepared."

"Uhh…"

Izana walked up to the siblings. "Oh no, it's definitely the truth!"

Corrin and Leo looked over, both confused, and both for different reasons. Corrin decided to speak up. "Archduke Izana-"

"Nah, you can just call me Izana!"

"Uh, okay. But, how are you aware of this?"

"Oh, the gods told me! Yeah, see, I was meditating when Zola had me under house arrest, and I saw a vision! I saw Garon sitting on Mikoto's throne, and he was gnarly! He was all greenish and melty! It was super freaky! First I wondered why they bothered giving me that jump-scare, but then it hit me! Garon wasn't invading Hoshido at all, it was a monster!"

Then, Leo put a finger to his chin. "Hmm… It is true that the queen's throne has the gift of unveiling one's true self. And you are known for your ability to speak with the gods… It's compelling evidence, to say the least."

"Wait… You believe us, then?" Corrin asked.

"I wouldn't say that. But between this and Father's strange behavior the last few years… it's something to think about. Though that's still more from me than you'd ever get from Xander or Camilla." Leo turned back to Corrin. "Just answer me this: you will continue to keep our best interests in mind, yes? You're not throwing our lives into jeopardy because you feel bad for leaving the Hoshidans behind?"

Corrin shook her head. "You know me, Leo. You know I'm just trying to end this peacefully. I'm not against King Garon or any of you. I'm only against the monster pretending to be our Father. This is for the good of Nohr."

Leo nodded. "Very well. …Who else knows, by the way?"

The princess gave a wry look at Izana. "Well, as far as I know, it's the three of us, Azura, Gunter, Lilith, Flora, Felicia, Jakob, Kaze, Anna, Keaton and Elise." She winced. "Oh, and… Azura mentioned Elise telling Arthur and Effie about it. Not sure if they believe it, though."

"I see…"

Corrin's eyebrows popped up. "Oh! Leo! That reminds me of something!"

"Sorry Corrin, but I need to have a word with Odin…"

With that, Leo was gone.

Everyone had rested up and continued their trek through the woods. Izana seemed content with himself, until a skulk of foxes with multiple tails came out to greet the party.

"Oh shoot, I forgot about the Kitsune lair," Izana lamented.

"The what?" Camilla asked.

"Oh they're like the wolf dudes up on Mt. Garou! Except they're foxes instead of wolves!"

"Then we've got trouble," Gunter said under his breath. Felicia gave him a look. She went ignored, as the leader of the Kitsune transformed into a human shape and greeted the party.

"Hiya! Who are you guys?"

Corrin smiled. So far, so good. He doesn't think he's a monster and he's not… rapping, or whatever, so he's already the best host we've had yet. "My name is Corrin, and these are my brothers and sisters, as well as my other friends. Right now we're… on a trip," she half-lied. "Would you happen to know if we're near the… What was it, again?" Corrin turned back.

"The Eternal Stairway!" Izana dramatically declared. Corrin nodded.

"Yeah, that. Do you know if we're near that?"

The Kitsune just stared at the group for a moment. Everyone seemed a little discomforted by the fox man staring at them, until he snapped his fingers after a full four minutes.

"I've got it! You guys are Nohrians!"

"Uhh, no we're not!" Felicia lied. Gunter shook his head. "Yeah, look at Gunter here, he's denying it too!"

"Ugh…"

Anna waved her hand. "Aw don't worry about it, guys. The fox guy doesn't care if we're from Nohr or not!"

"Hey, I'm not just a 'fox guy'! I'm Kaden! And I bet my name is way cooler than yours!"

"Eh, not really," Anna said. "Palindromes are pretty rare. Except for the part where all my sisters also have my name."

Kaze looked over to Anna. "Wait, what? Your sisters all share the same name? And you don't refer to your family name, correct?"

"Yep! An armada of Annas!" the saleswoman chirped. "And we all have the same job! Or at least we all have very similar jobs."

It then occurred to Kaze that he did not know much of anything about this saleswoman. In fact, she seemed to have the most mysteries out of all the troops. But Kaze's ninja intuition alerted him to something even more pressing- "Lady Corrin, I think we're surrounded."

Corrin and the others looked, and indeed found that even more Kitsune were approaching. Not only that, but Kaden was still the only one to have transformed into a humanoid form.

"Yeeeah… don't take this the wrong way, but… We're going to have to kill you," Kaden said. "But not because you're Nohrian! We're not racist here!"

Xander glared. "Oh really? Then why have you made enemies of us?"

"Because you're obviously here to hunt us down. I mean, look at our gorgeous fur! Who couldn't resist?"

Camilla nodded knowingly. "It is quite beautiful…"

"Camilla!" Xander scolded. He turned to Kaden. "And if we told you that we were merely passing through? After all, we were asking about the Eternal Stairway."

"That's what the last guys said. Some jerk in half a mask, and his bald friend. And then they skinned the village leader, took his pelt, and laughed about it!"

Corrin glared. "Those two… sound familiar…"

Kaden tensed up. "Wait, you know them?!"

"…Drat."

Kaden slowly took a few steps back and then whistled. Kitsune were dashing out from all directions. Corrin pulled out a Dragonstone. "Everyone! Backs to each other and take on the guys in front of you! Let's go!"

With the impromptu formation and battle plan, Corrin internally cursed. They had all been caught flatfooted, which would not help her keep Leo's trust.

"RAAA!" A Kitsune jumped at Corrin, but Benny ran up to him with a shield, knocking him away.

"I was hoping we wouldn't fight the Kitsune. I used to frolic with them on occasion."

"Well I don't think we're going to get out of this without a fight," Corrin said. She clenched her hand around her Dragonstone and morphed, much to Benny's surprise.

"Aaaah! And people say I'm scary! Since when can you do that?!"

The dragon quickly kicked away an incoming fox. "The first one I remember is when Mother died. But this is something I was probably born with."

"Aaah!" Corrin and Benny looked over, finding Elise's horse running in circles to keep its rider away from a Kitsune. "Someone help!"

"Elise! Use your magic!"

The small princess blinked a few times. "Oh yeah! I can do that now! Okay…" She pulled out a tome, and then immediately dropped it. "Fiddlesticks! Someone help!"

Corrin quickly ran over, but then got dogpiled by two other Kitsune. "Hey! Get off!"

Benny grabbed one of the foxes by their back end and tried to pull them off Corrin, but it was no good. Suddenly, a chunk of ice materialized in the air above the fox's head and slammed down, bludgeoning it. Benny gasped in horror, but was able to get the fox off Corrin. In a moment, the same thing happened to the other fox. Corrin was free to help Elise, while Flora walked up to Benny.

"Are either of you hurt?"

"The fox people, you gotta heal 'em, Flora!" Benny cried.

She frowned. "I… don't think we should."

"But… wasn't Corrin talking about being peaceful and stuff?"

"Yes… but…" She sighed. "Okay, I'll heal them a little, but we can't let this come back to haunt us."

Xander was wincing as he rode through a group of Kitsune, swinging Siegfried back and forth. "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Apologies. Sorry."

Leo and Azura both spectated. The prince looked over to the princess from atop his horse and said, "Uh, I could do that too. If… if I wanted."

"Then do it."

The bookish prince began to sweat. "Uh… well… Fine." He opened up Brynhildr and waved his hand, summoning a tree branch to take out a Kitsune. Much like the ones Xander was facing, he simply vanished from thin air. "There. Satisfied?"

Azura squinted. "Something seems off about the way he died. Kitsune don't just vanish into thin air. Not unless…" She slowly turned around, then gasped. "Behind you!"

Leo turned, and saw a Kitsune already in mid-pounce. Leo shut his eyes, thereby missing the red beam striking the fox and sending it to the dirt. When Leo opened his eyes, he found Xander nearby. "I have your back, Brother."

"…Thanks."

Xander left, while Azura smirked at the sardonic tone in Leo's voice. "Ooh. What's that? Are you embarrassed to be saved by your big brother?"

The Dark Knight glared. "What of it? Xander has enough to deal with between the war, his role as the oldest prince, and several other things. The least I could do is not freeze up in battle like a rookie." He sighed. "I just don't get it. How could he be so talented? He's great at everything! Fighting, politics, swimming, penmanship, breakdancing, and even-"

"Swimming? Xander can't swim," Azura said.

"What?"

"He can't even dogpaddle." A smile had formed on the songstress's face. "I remember that much from my time in Nohr. And from what Corrin was telling me on the ship to Mokushu, he hasn't gotten any better."

Leo blinked a few times. "…Okaaaay… He still has a million other talents. I just wish I could help somehow."

Azura chuckled to herself. "Well if you don't want to embarrass him, you could start by not wearing your collar inside-out."

"SON OF A-"

"Jakob, put your back into it! Really fight for your lady's life! C'mon!" Gunter ordered. The butler growled as he was evading a Kitsune. Finally, he slashed it with a knife. "For crying out loud, Jakob. Why can't you be more like that provocative woman over there?"

Jakob looked over and saw Charlotte mercilessly cutting down a Kitsune. It limped away in pain, as Charlotte threw her axe behind her and slouched suggestively. "Oh, did I do that?"

"AAAAAH! HORSE, NOOOOO!" Silas's wail brought everyone's attention. Charlotte's discarded axe had knocked the horse over and grievously wounded it. "YOU HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!"

Charlotte gasped. "Oh… oh gods." She looked over at Jakob. "Hey! Butler! Get off your butt and heal the horse- I mean, uh, Jakob would you be a dear and heal Silas's horse?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… A quick death, or a lifetime of servitude to Silas… The horse may be better off- OW!" Gunter actually punched Jakob in the back of the head. "Oh fine. But it wasn't my decision to carelessly throw my axe behind me, let us all know that!"

Niles kept trying to shoot one of the Kitsune, but each one proved to be an illusion. He smirked. "Heh. Guess you could say these guys don't fox around."

"I don't get it," Felicia replied.

"Just give it a moment." The maid stood there silently. Niles gave her an expectant look, but was never rewarded with that flustered realization. "…You need a hint?"

"No, I've got it, just give me more time!"

Niles sighed and went over to where Camilla was fighting. She was having better luck with one of the enemies, but he was still able to snipe one that was about to sneak up from behind.

"Got one for ya, honey!"

Camilla finished her fight and smiled at Niles. "Thank you dear, you're a big help."

"I figured you probably could've handled it, but eh. What the fox. Right?"

The princess grinned. "How bold of you to speak so blue. Even for your standards, I must say."

Then the Adventurer's smugness faded. "N-no, don't you get it? What the fox? Because… because it sounds like-"

Camilla shook her head, chuckling. "Oh, no. I understood. I just didn't want to dignify it."

"How cold… I like it."

And no fox were given.

Anna and Izana had made it to the bushes, and were ready to support from the shadows. Or rather, Izana would watch as Anna supported. He nodded.

"You certainly know a lot about this situation, don't you? The war and Garon and all that, I mean."

"I sure do! What sorta businesswoman would I be if I didn't know current events?" She fired an arrow. "We're a lot alike, I think. We both just really want to see what happens. I mean, I already know what'll happen. But seeing it is way different! Not to mention, I have a bit of a side bet going on right now, and it'd really help me if Corrin made it through this."

"Oooh, mystery! Do the gods give you visions too?"

Anna cheerfully shrugged. "I don't really know how I know what I know. But I just know, y'know?"

Up in the branches, Kaze looked down at the merchant thoughtfully.

"Noooo! I should've attacked first! All my buddies are dying!" Kaden shrieked. He took a deep breath and leapt down from his tree branch vantage point. By the time he hit the ground, he was already in beast form. "I was trying to avoid all of this!"

The Nine-Tails cut across the forest grove and tackled a certain General from behind. "This is for my friends!"

Benny gasped. "Kaden, it's me! We frolicked that one time, don't you remember?!"

"Aaaaaaaah. Stop making this harder for me! I'm losing all my friends!" Then the white fox tensed up. He quickly flipped away and avoided a chunk of ice, which then hit Benny in the back. "Ice?! But it's still Spring!"

Then Corrin blindsided Kaden in the same way he got Benny. But instead of tackling him, she knocked him away with her tail. She then transformed back into her human form. She was frowning. "Flora, go heal Benny."

As the maid complied, Corrin turned back to the Nine-Tails "Kaden, was it? I'm sorry this is happening. But we're just fighting in self-defense!" I noticed Flora healing a few of the nearby foxes, but there's no way she'll get to them all. Oh gods… This is like Cheve all over again… Only now it's our doing.

The fox slowly stood back up and crouched down. "So were we!"

"Listen to me. We've won this already. Just call off your remaining friends, and-"

"No! Don't you get it?! I did this for them! Sure I thought you guys were fine, but they were scared of you! Especially after what happened before!" Kaden admitted. "They'd never be able to relax as long as there was a chance you'd all come back and skin them!" He shook his head. "I didn't ask to be the boss of all the Kitsune, but I am now! And how could I let my people be afraid?"

Corrin gasped. "That sounds like…"

"And now look! My friends are all dead or dying! I have to try, for their sake!" Kaden declared. Still a little dizzy from Corrin's last attack, he regained balance and charged for the half-dragon.

"…I'm sorry…"

Kaden pounced, and Corrin jumped out of the way. She swung Grim Yato, and wounded the beast.

"Aaaah! Nooooo…."

Corrin winced. Oh… oh gods that's a lot of blood coming out. Was he already bleeding from the inside before? Is that how it works? I don't know… Oh gods… This was a massacre, the Kitsune had no business fighting us!

Without even having to be told, Flora was there by Corrin's side, knowing Corrin would want to have Kaden examined. Elise also happened to show up, and tried to help.

"Corrin, he's hurt real bad…" Elise did not seem hopeful.

"Oh gods…" Corrin found it hard to breathe. "He was so friendly… a-and they were already victims because of Iago and Hans… and… and then he started talking like Xander, and it just-"

"Corrin, breathe," Flora told her. "Now's not the time. Maybe you should make sure no one attacks Elise and me while we heal?"

Corrin nodded. "That's right… There's still a battle going on…"

The battle, if one could call it that, was finished in short order. All able-bodied Kitsune made a retreat, taking their dead if they could get away with it. But the same could not be said for Kaden.

"I'm sorry, Corrin…" Elise said. The princess shook her head.

"You did what you could, Elise."

Azura and, unusually, Benny were there with the sisters. The singer seemed neutral, as standard. "We fought them. They attacked us out of nowhere, but we fought them. Even though they got the jump on us, we beat them handily."

Corrin glared at her. "I know. We were all there. You don't need to rub it in."

"I think I do." Azura did not back down. "I mean, how are these Kitsune different from anyone else we've been fighting so far? You're not telling me that you're only just now realizing that we're going to have to kill relatively innocent people, right?"

"I know, I know… It was only a matter of time until I wouldn't be able to get out of a fight peacefully. And you're right, it's not any different. It's just… Kaden said some things that sounded a lot like Xander… and for a moment, it almost felt like I was fighting him instead. It just hit home."

"We're going to keep fighting, Corrin. Or else Garon will destroy everything, I'm sure of it. And the sooner you can live with what happened today, the better. Do you think it's any easier for me? I actually lived in Shirasagi, and we're going to be invading it." Then Azura's frown became sincere. "I have feelings too, Corrin... I'm trying to hold it together. Please don't make me hold you together too."

Elise looked thoughtfully at the two older princesses. "You really care about them that much?"

Corrin nodded. "I'm sorry, Elise, but I do. That doesn't change how I feel about you, but…"

The Strategist shook her head. "No, I get it. Ever since Izana's place, I was thinking… We're really not that different from the Hoshidans. I wondered if things could have been different. So then I started reading this book Arthur bought me, the one about peace. And it made me sad that we have to invade."

Benny finally broke his silence. "So King Garon wants to destroy everything?"

Azura sighed. "Me and my big mouth… Yes, he does. But he's not the real King Garon. King Garon died some time ago, and now this monster is ruining his legacy."

"…I killed animals because of this war. I'll never forgive him."

Azura, Elise and Benny all left. Corrin stayed behind and gave Kaden's corpse a final glance.

"…I'm sorry."

Chapter Text

The army had reached the Wind Tribe, the closest location to the Eternal Stairway. It was a small desert village, but Corrin did not mind. In fact, she was giggling to herself.

"Uh, Corrin?" asked Silas. "What's so funny?"

"Hee, sorry… The sand just kind of tickles my toes." Her face than became serious. "Hey, how's Benny holding up? He was really upset after… the forest."

Silas shook his head. "Oh… Not good."

…

Benny sat on a tree stump in the Astral Plane. He sang in a deep baritone.

"Nobody knows, the trouble I've seen… Nobody knows, my sorrow…"

Keaton joined in. "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, diddly-do, here they are all sitting in a-" Keaton noticed the stare he was getting from Benny. "What? This… this isn't a good time for me to sing?"

"Odin," Leo called, searching the dune for his retainer. "Odin where are you?"

Laslow stepped forth. "I believe he's visiting the Astral Plane right now, milord. Would you like me to pass a message to him?" Leo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Er, is there something on my face?"

"You and Odin have known each other for quite a while now. Haven't you?"

The gray-haired man began to sweat. "Um, yes. We've… been around the block together."

"I recall Odin once mentioning something about a being controlling my father. And then I happen to hear of Elise and Corrin mentioning something along those lines."

"Oh so you've heard about that?" Laslow asked. He blushed. "Um, not that it's… true or anything… Or… it is. But, no, I- …Blast."

Stunned, Leo turned his head aside. "Oh gods it's actually true, then."

"Um… surprise?"

Elise and her retainers walked up to Corrin and Silas, and the younger princess pouted. "No good! They won't let us through! I tried being adorable and everything!"

"I take full responsibility. I should have been more intimidating!" Effie lamented.

Arthur glanced at his partner. "I… can't help but feel there would be mixed messages if you both had tried that."

"Why can't we just go around the territory?" Silas asked.

"Izana said the mountains would be too difficult to climb. Especially with the harsh winds," Corrin explained. "This isn't good. Maybe we could get Gunter to glare at them or something. That always got things done back at the fortress."

Elise snapped a finger. "I have an idea! Why not let Camilla use her feminine wiles?"

Everyone immediately winced, except for Effie. She just pounded her fist into her other hand. "Niles is going to die."

Azura then caught up to everyone. "Hey, as fun as it is to listen to everyone flaunt their respective personality quirks in a futile attempt to charm the Wind Tribe's chieftain, I have another idea. Instead… we just talk to them. Like people."

"People?!" Silas cried out. "We're doomed! Azura, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're all borderline psychotic! Jakob actively doesn't care about people, Arthur has the worst luck known to man, Anna keeps talking about 'games' and stuff like that, Flora's obsessed with cleaning everything, Lord Xander would read an instruction manual for fun, and don't even get me started on Peri!"

Azura merely blinked. "…You make a surprisingly good point."

Suddenly, a bald and muscular man approached the Nohrians. "Hello, travelers! Have you come to the Wind Tribe in search of a vacation spot? Look no further, for the Wind Tribe has everything you didn't know you wanted! Like the ball pit!"

Azura blinked once more. "Oh gods, I thought Leo was joking earlier…"

Corrin cleared her throat. "Uh, are you Chief Fuga?"

"I am."

"Great! Chief Fuga, could you maybe allow us to pass through? We're trying to get to the Eternal Stairway, and-"

"Oh. You wish to pass through the tribe… Just like everyone else…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Fuga sighed and shook his head. "We thought we would get a lot of tourism by setting up our village by the Eternal Stairway. But people would always rather pass us by and visit Izumo, or head down the stairs. No one ever wants to visit us! We have a wonderful culture! Blackjack every other weeknight!" Everyone was beginning to feel awkward. "So I've decided, no one may pass anymore! Not until they experience everything we as a people have to offer!"

Azura sighed in frustration, but Corrin saw an opportunity. "Are you saying… that if we look around your tribe and take in some of the sights… we'll be allowed to pass through?"

"Sure," Fuga said with a shrug. "But I'll be there every step of the way to make sure you're all enjoying yourselves, so no sneaking off."

Corrin looked to her companions. "Guys… I don't see a problem here. We get to take it easy and see what the Wind Tribe has for us. It'll be great!"

Silas nodded. "Hey, yeah, maybe you're right! Besides, now I can make good on that promise we made! The one about me showing you a festival!"

"This sounds fun!" Elise cheered. Arthur and Effie smiled, though perhaps only because their liege did. Corrin turned to Fuga.

"As the leader of this operation, I accept your terms, Fuga."

"Splendid!"

The Wind Tribe claimed to have a Tunnel of Love, but that was not quite the truth. Instead, two people would sit in a box together in a shallow river, while a local would try using their wind powers to push the 'boat' along. And there was no tunnel. Charlotte and Izana sat in one boat together.

"Sooo… You seeing anyone?" Charlotte asked. Izana turned to her.

"Nah."

"…Do you want to see anyone?"

"Nah."

Charlotte sighed. "Do you-"

"Eh you're not really my type, gotta be honest," Izana said. "Hey I'm sure you'll find Mr. Right someday! Or Ms. Right! Whatever!"

The blonde woman hung her head back. "Ugh! Is it really that hard to find a rich man? My parents can't live off cabbages forever!"

Izana shrugged. "Why not try Prince Xander? He's gotta be loaded!"

"I already tried that, he doesn't fall for it."

Anna crept up between the two of them on her own sluggish 'boat'. "I believe I have a solution to your problems!"

"Aaah! What the frick, sneaking up on us like tha- I mean, goodness me, you've startled me, Anna!"

Anna stared dully at Charlotte. "…Yeah, not buying it. But I'm selling this new product, and I think you can help!" Anna pulled out a bright yellow towel. "These bad boys can almost mop up spills on your tables and floors! I just need a pretty face to help me sell 'em! And a name. I'm thinking 'Sham'… something. Join me, and I'll give you 40% of the profit!"

"Forty?!" Charlotte was outraged.

"Hey, you're just advertising, I'm the one working out the business here!"

"What, am I not pretty enough?!" asked Izana.

Further back on the river, Felicia and Laslow were in a boat together.

"So, Felicia, I don't believe we've finished our talk from all that time ago."

"You mean about me being shy?"

"Why, yes. In fact," he then pulled out an old, busted automaton, "I still have one of these!"

"Aaah!"

"Oh it's harmless now, Felicia. Just look at it and pretend it's a complete stranger."

Felicia frowned.

"I… I really don't want to…"

"You must!"

"But… but I…" She steeled herself. "No! I can do this! I'm Super Felicia! I can do anything!" She took a deep breath. "Hello, Broken Robot. My name is Felicia. How are you on this day?"

The broken automaton said nothing, because it was just a broken automaton.

"Bravo, Felicia. Now… let's see if we can't try it on a real person," Laslow muttered. He scoped the riverside and caught a tribalist just sitting on a pile of sand. "There! That man! Talk to him, Felicia."

"Huh? Um, okay…"

As the makeshift boat drifted along, Felicia called out to the villager. "H-hey! I'm Felicia! Do you come here often?"

The villager blinked. "…Yeah."

"O-oh… Okay then! Good to know!"

Felicia then said nothing and allowed the box to continue down the river. Laslow merely sighed. "We've got a long way yet to go."

Even further back in the river, sat Kaze… and Gunter.

"…I'm getting the feeling we shouldn't have gotten in this boat together," said the ninja.

"'Boat' is a strong word," Gunter replied. "…So… You were going to be Lady Corrin's retainer before she was taken?"

"Oh, she… she told you about that…" Kaze said with a wince. "Yeah…"

"Well… if not for that, she and I wouldn't have met. Nor would she meet Jakob, Felicia and Flora. Corrin really did bring us all together. And you've seen how she is. Rest assured, she didn't suffer in Nohr."

"I know, but... allowing her to be kidnapped through my inaction has been my greatest source of shame. At times, I've felt like the guilt would kill me. Even worse, since our king died in that incident."

"Kaze, bad things happen. And not even the strongest mages have figured out how to control time. So just enjoy what you have now. That's what raising Corrin helped me to remember."

The ninja sighed. "Maybe…"

Elsewhere in the tribe, there was a game stall where the player could knock over a stack of empty milk bottles in order to win a prize. However…

"How am I going to knock them down?" Azura asked. "I'm going to need to be able to throw something."

"Yeah just use yer wind powers," said the tribalist running the stall.

Azura shook her head. "Oh. My wind powers. Of course. How could I forget?"

Camilla and Xander walked up to Azura, with the princess speaking first. "Azura, dear, are you enjoying the sights?"

"Not really."

Xander nodded. "Yeah this festival they've set up… I've seen better."

The proprietor of the stall glared. "Well excuuuuuse me, prince! We don't have a fancy budget like they might have back in your castle town!"

"That much is clear," Azura commented.

"Still," Camilla tried to steer the conversation, "I think this would be a fine time for us all to better get to know each other. We weren't allowed to speak with you growing up, and I hated it. So let's speak now!"

Azura blinked. "Oh… Okay. About what?"

"Do you like sewing?"

"It's okay." The songstress nervously glanced around. "Do… you like to sing?"

"Oh deary me, I can't even whistle. What about you, Xander?"

Xander nodded. "I only know one song by heart, and that is the national anthem of Nohr."

Azura gave him a look. "…What is your favorite color, Xander?"

"I favor violet, because it is Nohr's emblematic color."

She sighed. "And… what would happen to be your favorite bird?"

The prince put a finger to his chin. "I think… I think that I'm fond of Marsh Harrier. Which is the national bird of Nohr."

"I'm sensing a pattern," Azura stated.

Camilla turned to her brother. "Xander, do you have any interests that don't relate to Nohr as a whole?"

Xander paused. "Don't… relate… to Nohr…" He just stared ahead. "Hmm…"

The lilac-haired woman waited. Azura sighed. The guy running the stall had even less patience.

"Someone just play the danged game already!"

Camilla pulled out a tome and launched a spell at the bottles. "There, it's played. Now let us have our family moment!"

"Oh fine. But first…" He pulled out a doll and gave it to Azura. It was a doll of a hairless rat.

"…This is… the worst."

"I won the game, shouldn't I get the prize?" asked Camilla. Azura stared at her incredulously.

"You want this? Here, take it. Please!"

As Azura gave Camilla her prize, Xander hammered his right fist into his left palm. "I've got it! In order to make myself braver, I forced myself to listen to ghost stories growing up. So now I'm a bit of a horror buff."

The singer raised her eyebrows. "Oooh. I tell a mean ghost story. Did you hear the one about the mummies beneath the canyon well?"

"No I haven't."

Camilla normally did not care for ghost stories, more for boredom than horror, but stood back and allowed her siblings to bond.

Jakob was standing by the entrance to the tribe, refusing to have fun. He was having a very uneventful afternoon until Peri rode up on her horse.

"Jakob! Everyone's busy! Will you get me a cotton candy?"

"No."

"But whyyyyyy?"

"Because you're not Lady Corrin."

Peri folded her arms. "Hmph! And what's so great about Lady Corrin?"

Jakob nodded and pulled out a clipboard. "I'm glad you asked. You see, I actually have previously prepared a list of Lady Corrin's merits, in case she or anyone else would like me to remind them of why she is so great."

Peri cringed. "…And people think I'm crazy."

"Merit #1: Lady Corrin sees the best in everybody, even when they don't have a best. Merit #2: Lady Corrin wishes to share her happiness with others. Merit #3: Lady-"

"Jakob, I want cotton candy and I don't have any money! Buy some for me or I'll kill you!"

"No. Merit #3: Lady Corrin can get along with anyone. Merit #4-"

Peri drew her sword. "Fine then, time to die!"

"No."

"I hope you're- Huh? No? You can't say 'no' to that! I didn't ask you a question!"

"You can't kill me. I provide valuable services for the army. In addition to serving our commander, a boon to her morale I might add, I heal injured soldiers and do menial chores around camp. Killing me would put us a soldier down, hindering our operation. If we were to fail because of that, I cannot imagine that would go over well for all of us, including you. So it would not behoove you to kill me, because then you may- or may not- inadvertently allow us to lose the war."

"Gaaah! Too many words! But I think I get it… If you die… then we lose?"

"Maybe."

Peri shrugged. "So… Get me cotton candy, or I'll kill you and we'll lose the war!"

"That's not how it works," Jakob corrected.

Flora walked up to the two of them. "Is there a problem?"

"Cold lady! Buy me some cotton candy!" Peri ordered.

"All right…" She pulled out a purse. "Let's see if I have any spare change… And I do. Here you go, Peri."

"Yaaay, cotton candy!"

Peri held out her hands from atop her horse, and Flora reached out to give the coins. Peri immediately rode off, and Flora sighed. "Really, Jakob? Was it that hard to give her just a little pocket change?"

"She's not my liege and her consumption of cotton candy has no bearing on the campaign's success. So yes," Jakob said.

Flora frowned. "Jakob… Do you like anything all on your own? We've worked together so long now, but now that I think of it…" She looked away, trying to visualize something. "I can't seem to remember you liking anything."

Jakob quirked his brow. "Hm? Certainly. There's… um… There's… I like… eating fruits?"

"For goodness' sake… Well if nothing else, I know I was right to presume you'd never return my feelings."

"Feelings for what?" Jakob asked. "Are we still on food?"

"…How are you this oblivious?!"

"So Corrin, are you having fun yet? Eh? Eh? Eeeeeeeeh?" Silas was off his horse and sitting beside Corrin on a bench. They were both eating daikons.

"Well," bite, "the food is plain," bite, "they didn't think through," bite, "half the attractions", bite, "and it's very hot today." Swallow. "But none of my family or close friends are dying in my arms, so it's already the best festival I've ever been to." She glumly stared down at the ground.

"Oh… Oh yeah. We didn't really get to talk about that, but I'm still sorry to hear about your mom."

Corrin winced. "Thank you, but I… don't really want to talk about it. Especially not since we're in the middle of invading Hoshido right now."

"Oh yeah… Man, I bet the villagers are totally going to guilt-trip you about that, too."

She exhaled sharply. "Yeah. Probably."

"Man it just sucks that Garon had to go and do that. It's almost like he's evil or something! But they wouldn't let someone that evil just do what he wants, right?"

Then, Corrin turned to face Silas. "Silas… you do know that this Garon is an impostor, right?"

Silas blinked. "…No I did not."

Leo rode up to the two of them, riding his horse. "Well it's true."

Corrin gasped. "Leo! You believe?"

He winced. "Well… Too many reliable sources are agreeing on it. You… Izana… Odin and Laslow… That one time I overheard Anna mentioning it… So yeah, I'll take your word for it. But Corrin… If Father has been replaced, what happened to him?"

"I… I don't know," Corrin looked away. "I mean… Azura said he died, but that doesn't make sense. Then again, a lot of things lately don't make sense. But if he were dead, we'd have some kind of clue, wouldn't we?"

The prince nodded. "Hmm... I see. When he joins us, we'll have to pay close attention, then."

Fuga walked up to the three, with a smile on his face. "So tell me, daughter of Sumeragi. How are you and yours enjoying your visit to our tribe?"

"You knew Sumeragi?" asked the princess.

"Indeed, and I know who you are. You and that Yato of yours. Sumeragi and I were, as the kids say, fam."

"Fam…ily?" Corrin gasped. "I have an uncle!"

"In Hoshido," Leo added.

"No, not like that," the Master of Arms said. "I'm just saying we were friends. But you never told me, how are you all enjoying the tribe?"

Before Corrin could say anything, Leo spoke up. "Well, Anna and Charlotte have decided to set up a new scam, Gunter is talking everyone's ear off about anecdotes from the Northern Fortress, Felicia was last seen talking to a tree with Laslow, Jakob is reading a list of my sister's merits-"

"I told him not to bring that!" Corrin interrupted.

"-and Peri has destroyed a food stall because they ran out of cotton candy. This place sucks. Can we go now?"

Fuga was outraged. "WHAT?! How dare you! You City Folk need to turn a New Leaf! Our Wild World out here is beautiful! You just can't appreciate it!" The chieftain craned his neck backward. "Hayato, get out here! We're going to teach these ingrates a lesson!"

"Okay," a nasally voice responded. Corrin glared at Leo.

"Way to go, Leo."

The Dark Knight winced. "…Yeah, my bad. Can't deny that one."

Fuga waved his arms and blew Corrin and Silas far away with wind. He then jumped into the air and rode the wind to catch up with them. This left Leo alone with a short, young man in Onmyoji robes. "And you are?"

"My name is Hayato, son of the Great Chief Fuga! Don't underestimate me just because of my looks, I'm the strongest mage in this village!"

"Oh." Leo blinked. "I'm the strongest mage in my family. The royal family. The royal Nohrian family."

Hayato pouted. "Yeah, so?! Can you do this?!" Hayato pulled out a vial and some leaves. He shoved the leaves into the vial and shook it up, before throwing it at Leo, splashing the potion onto him.

"Gaaah!"

"That potion just cured the blister sore you had inside your lip!"

"Wait, how'd you know about that?"

"But now you'll reincarnate as a young scholar dreaming about these events."

Leo was still put off. "Oh, that's… weird, I guess. But no seriously, how'd you know about my lip?"

"Let's see your magic do anything of that caliber!" Hayato boasted. The prince sighed.

"Fine." He opened Brynhildr. "Take this. Blah." He waved his hand, and created a tree branch, which punched Hayato in the face. The boy went flying into a nearby sand pile.

"At least… I die like a man…"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, that was hardly anything. Stop overreacting."

"Aw fine…"

The winds carried Corrin and Silas to a rooftop, along with Fuga. The Nohrians had a rough landing… and so did Fuga.

"Ah, my back! I'm too old for this!"

The three of them eventually stood up, and Fuga drew a spear. "Haha. As a Master of Arms, I am proficient in all three main weapons. Come at me with your swords, and I shall show my superior reach with a lance. Fight me with your own lance, and I will break them with my club. And if you somehow have one of those, my sword will make short work of it!" He grinned knowingly. "Do you regret judging this tribe yet?"

"Not… really," Silas answered. "Although technically that was all Prince Leo's doing, not ours."

The chieftain waved his hand. "Semantics. He was under your friend's command, therefore she should have known better than to allow him to speak so rudely!"

"You have a lot of weapons, Chief Fuga," Corrin began, "but I think I have an ace up my sleeve that you actually can't counter!"

Silas looked over, examining how Corrin was a Nohr Noble. "Corrin, your armor doesn't have sleeves. It has cool claw-gauntlets, though."

"…Thanks. Anyway!" Corrin pulled out a Dragonstone. "I'd like to see you counter this!" Corrin focused her energy and became a dragon once more. "RAAAAAAH!"

Fuga nodded. "Ah… yes…" He whipped out a blade. "Good thing my sword happens to be a Wyrm Slayer."

"…Blast!"

"To dust you return!" Fuga rushed for Corrin, but the dragon leapt back and allowed Silas to intercept with his javelin. The two clashed for a moment, but Fuga's strength won out, and he pushed Silas back. "All right, I'll have to use this!"

The bald man pulled out a club, and prepared to swing it, but a human Corrin appeared behind him and struck with the Grim Yato "Gaaah! My back! Again!" Fuga fell onto a knee. "Urgh… I walked right into that one… Ow… Honestly, not even mad at you guys, I should've… should've seen that one coming a mile away…"

All the Nohrians were gathered at the Wind Tribe's entrance, with Fuga and Hayato seeing them off. Fuga had bandages wrapped around his midsection.

"You have indulged my wishes, if only for a while, and proven your strength in battle." Fuga grinned. "While this does not go for all Nohrians, know that you individuals are always welcome back."

"Not gonna happen," Anna said under her breath.

"Hey, want to take Hayato with you?" asked Fuga. "He could see more of the world this way. And… I'm kind of expecting some lady friends of mine, if you… catch my drift…"

Hayato blushed. "Dad! Gross! Besides, they're invading Shirasagi, aren't they? I don't wanna do that!"

"Oh fine. I'm too injured to party anyway."

"Well…" Corrin was lightly blushing. "I think… We've heard enough. Let's go!"

With that, Corrin led her troops away from the Wind Tribe and ever closer to the Eternal Stairway.

"I dunno, I think it was still a fun day, all things considered," said Silas.

Then, Corrin nodded. "…Yeah, still the best festival I've been to."

Chapter Text

The Nohrian forces made it to the Eternal Stairway, a large cavern with a long set of stone stairs heading into total darkness.

"Disclaimer, it's not actually eternal!" Izana said. "But it sure will feel like it when we work our legs! Or our horses' legs!"

Perched on Corrin's shoulder, Lilith spoke to her liege. "Lady Corrin, would you like it if you all waited in the Astral Plane while I glide to the bottom of the stairs?"

"You could do that? I know sometimes we hide in there, but all of us at once?"

The dragon shamefully looked away. "Okay, I probably won't be able to fit all of you…"

Then the two dragons felt a pair of eyes watching them. Both turned to find Anna, herself frowning.

"What's wrong, Anna?" Corrin asked.

"I just had a real bad feeling."

"About the stairway?"

"About your headband!" The merchant pointed to Corrin's hairband. "It looks so cheap! I could probably find you another one, and offer a good price. It'd have the same butterfly decoration and everything!"

Corrin instinctively touched her hand to her hairband. "Never! My siblings gave this to me!"

A little further back, Elise and Azura rode the former's horse together.

"Azura, is this staircase going to take us to Hoshido for real?"

"It'd better, or else we've got the wrong underground staircase. I'm feeling pretty confident, though."

Camilla watched Kaze as the two walked together. "Kaze, would you be interested in attending a tea party of mine once we're finished with the war?"

Kaze turned his head. "Huh?"

"Well you've proven yourself to be reliable in these past few… misadventures. And I happen to notice you have no significant other. Which is weird, because you're so popular. And handsome!"

The Ninja Master arched his eyebrow. "Uh, should I take that as a compliment?"

"Everyone needs to have a person in their lives whom they can turn to. So I figured, why not set you up with one of my noble friends when we get back? I mean, I doubt you'll be welcome in Hoshido after this."

"I… I've made my peace with that. When no one was looking. Or could hear me cry- not crying."

"Then how about it? I'm certain they'll find you very exotic."

"…You what, mate?" Kaze narrowed his eyes. "I… don't think I appreciate that perspective."

"Uh! I-I-I didn't mean it like that!"

"…Then how did you mean it?"

Camilla covered her mouth before finding a solution. "I… I meant your profession! You must have a lot of interesting stories, working as an assassin!"

"…That wasn't what you meant."

"It wasn't."

"Hey guys! What's up?" Izana's cheerful demeanor cut through the awkward air. Camilla sighed in relief.

"Archduke Izana, do you happen to have any suitors at the moment?"

"Do I? Hahaha… No. No I'm actually very lonely."

Camilla nodded thoughtfully. "Would you be interested in meeting some of my friends at a tea party after the war?"

"Friends…" Izana folded his arms. "As in… lady friends?"

Kaze massaged his temples. "Oh gods."

In another part of the mob, Leo and Flora were next to each other. The Dark Knight spared a curious glance. "Say, Flora, shouldn't you be with your sister and Jakob?"

"I wasn't assigned to scout ahead with them."

"Why not? I've heard Corrin go on about how you always do research on new places she visits. Wouldn't this be a pretty important time?"

She looked at him incredulously. "I've already taken care of it. Back in Izumo, when the Archduke told us we should come here."

"Oh. Well… good. That reminds me, why aren't you over with Corrin and Lilith?"

"What, am I not allowed to converse with others?"

"I didn't say that, it's just that we don't ever really talk, so this was kinda weird."

The maid blushed. "Yes, well, Corrin's told me I should try coming out of my shell a bit more." She put a finger to her chin. "It's worked out pretty well, so far. Charlotte and I were speaking, and-"

"GUUUUUYS!" Felicia's voice snapped everyone out of their side conversations. She and Jakob ran up to greet everyone, out of breath. "Guys… Faceless… attacking… trouble… we've got it… at the bottom… help…"

Kaze tensed up. "Faceless?! In my homeland?!"

"It's more likely than you'd think," Anna commented.

"We must evacuate at once!" Jakob ordered.

"RRRRAAR!"

Everyone gulped and turned around. From the top of the staircase stampeded a team of Faceless.

"Yeah I don't think that's gonna work," Azura said.

Xander took a deep breath and drew Siegfried. "I've seen hundreds of Faceless, enough to know their behavior. These Faceless aren't our friends."

"Shall we fight?" Gunter asked. The elder prince nodded and held Siegfried heroically.

"NOHRIANS! WE SHALL CLEAR A PATH TO THE TOP OF THE STAIRCASE!"

"That's… that's my job," Corrin said under her breath. Lilith sympathetically nuzzled by the princess's face.

"How're we gonna get to Fort Jinya without taking the stairs?" Silas asked. "We worked so hard to get here!"

"We can take the Five-Minute Stairway close by," Azura told him. "In hindsight, that should've been our first resort."

"Let's go!" Xander called.

Elise slung lightning bolts at several Faceless on the way, giggling the whole time. "Kneel! Kneel before my power! Bwahahahaha! More blood for the Blood Goddess!"

Jakob smirked. "Ah. The Nohrian heritage is strong in this one."

"She's gonna need a little help," Azura whispered to herself. "Ahem- Listen, girlfriend, can't you see? I'm all of the things that you'll never be- I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun, I'm a neon rainbow and you're – no- fun!"

Mystical energy coated Elise, and she laughed. "Muahaha! I can attack even more, now! Destroy! Destrooooooooy!"

Jakob's face paled. "…You've created a monster."

"You know, she's come a long way from being a naive healer back when we first met," Azura summarized. "Now she's a naive destroyer."

"You certainly seem to get along well with Lady Elise," Jakob said.

"Oh yeah. She's talkative, but once you get used to that, she's a sweetheart."

"Hmph. She always wishes to play games. As though we are children."

Azura shrugged. "Eh. Games can be fun."

"Please! What sort of adult could enjoy playing games? Wasting hours upon hours doing repetitive tasks for no tangible benefit nor the wellbeing of others. Indulging in make-believe events purely for immediate gratification," Jakob prattled. "The only thing worse than that, are people who would sit and write about the games they enjoy, rather than even playing them!"

The songstress stared in stunned silence. "…Jakob. Chill."

Anna pouted. "Gah! These zombies are too beefy! My arrows can't do squat! And I'm not even getting any EXP either! What a waste!"

"Please get off," Corrin asked, referring to the merchant sitting on her back.

"What, you don't want to help me escape faster? Oh fine…"

A Faceless appeared before the dragon. She whipped her tail to thwart the monster, but it displayed intelligence and grabbed Corrin by the tail. Anna gasped and prepared to draw her arrow, when Lilith appeared and sprayed the Faceless with Astral Breath.

"ARGH!"

As the Faceless recoiled in pain, Corrin kicked it with her hind legs, before deciding to revert to her human state. "Thanks, Lilith."

"No problem, milady."

"Hey, so you're Lilith, aren't you?" Anna redundantly asked. "Isn't there something you ought to tell Corrin here?"

"Uh… I don't know what you mean," Lilith lamely defended herself. Corrin turned to Anna.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, she's an adorable mascot and all, but haven't you ever wondered more about where Lilith came from? She's obviously not telling you everything!"

Corrin glared. "What do you know about Lilith?"

"Uh… Well…"

The dragon floated down to Corrin's eye level. "Lady Corrin, we can't get distracted. We still have to escape."

"You're right. C'mon." She looked at Anna. "But we're having a talk after this!"

"Uh boy…"

Corrin, Anna and Lilith proceeded to hurry up more of the stairs. Anna's creeping me out with how she knows everything. But now that I think of it, Lilith has been keeping a lot of secrets. What was she so scared of, in that one place? And all that time ago in the swamp, she mentioned having an evil father… She's one of my closest friends and I don't know a thing about her past…

"Flora, watch out!" Leo cried. The maid turned and noticed a giant, stony torso aiming a boulder at her.

"Aaah!" She leapt aside, avoiding the boulder. At that point, a stone medallion with a face engraved on it appeared on the monster's face. "What is that?!"

"It's a Stoneborn," Leo explained. "They're pretty much golems."

"I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU ALL MUST DIE."

"Oh, one more thing." Leo turned his head in Flora's direction. "They have an enchantment that can sometimes trap you in place."

The maid faced the stone beast and narrowed her eyes in determination. "Then I'll just have to trap him first! Take this!" She focused her energy and created several shards of ice, all sent flying into the beast's torso. It twitched in pain.

"I-I-I AM THE-THE STONE-STON-ST-ST-ON-ONEBORN. YOU MU-YOU-YOU-YOU MUST ALL DI-IE."

A frown appeared on Flora's face. "That wasn't enough?"

The prince casually opened Brynhildr and flicked his wrist, creating brambles to pierce through the golem's body, neutralizing it.

"I AM THhhhheeeee…"

"There."

Flora pouted. "Oh… I bet Felicia could've- No! I have to stop thinking like that. Besides, that was my first time seeing a Stoneborn. Now I'll know."

Leo spared her a thoughtful look. "Huh. You're jealous of your sibling too?"

"Uhh!" Flora's face turned red. "Well… Ugh. Yes."

"Hey don't worry about it. I know that feel…ing. I know that feeling." Leo counted on his fingers. "There's Xander, he's good at everything. Then Camilla, she has no trouble finding suitors. Even if she doesn't like them. And don't even get me started on Corrin!"

"Why are you jealous of Corrin?"

"Pfft! You haven't noticed? Look at how many people are always fussing over her! Heck, you're one of them!"

"W-well…"

Leo shook his horse's reins and proceeded to ascend the stairs. "Now let's go. It'd do bad for our jealousy if we were the last ones to make it up the stairs."

Flora sighed.

"I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU MUST-" A flurry of iced daggers cut the golem's life short. Felicia smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, that was easy! What was that monster, anyway?"

Camilla gave her a blank look. "I just… I just explained it a moment ago, deary."

"O-oh, you were talking to me too…"

The princess narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Yes. Why would you not listen to important information? It's not as though we have secrets."

Suddenly, the pink-haired maid gulped. "Uh, nope! Sure d-don't! Heheh… No secrets at all…"

"…Well, as long as we're on the same page, then…" Camilla flew ahead, leaving the maid with Kaze and Izana.

"Guys, what if she finds out about the plan?"

Izana shrugged. "Aww, I bet she doesn't expect a thing!"

"Who're you again?" asked Felicia.

"Rude! I am Izana! The Izana! Archduke of Izumo!"

"Oh… We get a lot of weird people following us around, so they all kinda blend together after a while," the maid admitted. Kaze shook his head and then looked to Izana.

"Why not tell her in the same way you told Leo?"

Izana stroked his chin. "Hmm… Maybe during the tea party, I can bring it up."

"How about before we dethrone King Garon?!" Kaze demanded.

"ARG!"

"Huh? Oh no!" Kaze barely had time to react as a Faceless caught up to him and punched him further up the stairs. Felicia whistled.

"Wow… It's been a while since something like that's happened to him."

The Onmyoji pulled out a scroll and waved it, sending a killer rabbit to attack the chest of the Faceless. "There. That's what you get for punching my friends. C'mon Felicia, Mr. Fluffles can take care of this!"

Xander effortlessly cut down any Faceless in his path, and Silas watched in awe.

"Wow. Lord Xander's so cool! I wish I were as tough as him!"

"Feh. He's certainly strong, but he's got no backbone," Gunter commented. "To be honest, I never really cared for Corrin's siblings." He winced. "Don't tell her I said that."

Silas quirked his eyebrow. "What's wrong with Corrin's brothers and sisters?"

Gunter rolled his eyes. "What isn't wrong with them? Xander is his father's ultimate yes-man, Camilla is a merciless menace, Leo is too blunt for his own good, and Elise won't act her age. Just goes to show what happens if you let Garon and his concubines raise them instead of someone sensible. Like me." He shook his head. "Royals. Who needs them?"

"O-oh… Okay… Should I be hearing this?"

Gunter shook his head. "Probably not. Corrin is an exception, though. Now… I'll need to assist Xander in fighting these Faceless. It helps me if I pretend they're all Garon. HYA!"

The veteran knight and his steed hurried ahead, leaving Silas in mild discomfort.

Out of all the troops, Corrin, Anna, Xander, Gunter, Azura, and Elise were leading the way.

"Hey, anyone notice that the Faceless are all homing in on Corrin?" Azura asked.

Elise puffed her cheeks. "Are you saying it's all her fault?"

"No, it's just… Who do we all know has both control over Faceless, and a hate-obsession with Corrin?" Azura gauged everyone's reactions. Only Anna and Gunter seemed to figure it out, causing Azura to sigh. "It's Iago. This is probably all his fault."

"Oh you can't just blame Iago for everything!" Xander defended. "Otherwise you sink to his level!" He then warily surveyed his surroundings. "Buuuut… on the off-chance that it's true… Corrin, I think you should travel ahead while we hold the Faceless back. If they attempt to chase you, we'll be able to get the upper hand on them."

Corrin gasped. "I can't leave you!"

"Milady, please. Look at us. You think we can't handle a few of these brutes?" Gunter asked.

Elise grinned. "Yeah! You should've seen all the lightning bolts I was throwing! Odin would be so proud of me!"

"Not to mention that if I sing, everyone will be even more powerful," Azura mentioned. Corrin shook her head, as Lilith emerged from the princess's satchel.

"And I'm going with you, milady. Just in case!"

"Oh… Oh all right. But if you take too long, I'm coming back for you!" Corrin pulled out her Dragonstone and concentrated. "GRAAAAAAAH!" With her horrifying scream, the princess assumed the form of a dragon once more and rushed past the incoming Faceless. As they turned to attack her, the Nohrians took that opportunity to blindside them.

From a hidden vantage point, Iago gritted his teeth as he witnessed the dragon princess galloping up the steps. "That rotten child… Get her, you mmmmonster!" With a wave of his arms, Iago created a golden Faceless, having it materialize right before Corrin. "Heehahahaha!"

"GRAAARGH!"

"Whoa!"

With a fierce punch, the Faceless knocked the dragon into a wall. The Faceless stomped over, preparing to attack again, as Lilith caught up to her. "Aaaah! Lady Corrin!"

"Rrrgh…!"

The Astral Dragon flew closer. "Lady Corrin, you must get up! Hurry!" Lilith urged the dragon to awaken, but the Faceless was nearing. Corrin tried to stand up, but it took all her might.

"That punch… what kind of… Faceless… is this?!"

"Corrin, get up! Now!" Lilith watched the larger dragon struggle to get up, and she knew then that it would be futile. She turned to face the beast. "All right, that's enough! I won't let you come any closer!" Lilith floated over to the Faceless and sprayed her Astral Breath.

"RRRRG!" The monster blocked with its arms, having its appendages take the blast.

"What?! It's intelligent?!"

Without a moment to lose, the Faceless swung its fist, slamming Lilith into the ground. "AAAAAAH!" Then it kicked her to the side. "Aaack…"

"L-Lilith! No! Why you…" Corrin finally got up and ran toward the Faceless. "RAAAAAAAH!" She pounded the monster with her front legs, whipped it with her tail, kicked it with her hind legs, and then finally unleashed a blast of water from her jaws, killing the Faceless. "Lilith!"

Corrin reverted to human form and rushed over to find Lilith. She found the tiny dragon's body, mangled and battered, lying on the ground. "Lilith!"

"h-h-hi corrin…"

"Lilith, hang in there! I think I have some vulneraries, or-or-"

"no… i can… hardly breathe…"

Corrin's own breathing increased, and her head began to hurt. "Don't worry! J-just you wait, the others will be here any second! J-Jakob and Flora and… F-Felicia will fix you up!"

"corrin… no…"

The princess ignored this, and began to carry the dragon in her arms. Then, with a flash of light, Lilith had reverted to her own human form. Corrin struggled to adjust to the change in weight, and gasped at the sight. Even in this form, she was still severely wounded. Lilith weakly turned to face Corrin, smiling. "i thought you might… want to remember this form… i'm sorry i lied…"

"Lilith…" Corrin's eyes watered, she was breathing too quickly. Lilith's smile remained.

"it's okay… i'd do anything for my… s-s… no… i can't say it…"

"Don't say anything then! Just… save your strength, okay?!"

"i… don't think i can… i'm sorry, corrin… but hey… i know you can… save everyone… without me…" She peacefully shut her eyes. "i love you…"

"Lilith, please, don't go!"

"…"

"Lilith! Lilith! …No…"

Hidden from view, Iago scowled. "Hmph. How convenient for her… Oh well, I'll have another chance."

Iago vanished, just as Corrin screamed in anguish.

When Xander and the rest finally topped the stairs, they were greeted with the sight of Lilith's body propped against a wall, with Corrin staring at it. Xander gulped. "Um… Little Princess?"

"…She's dead."

By that time, Jakob had caught up. "Milady, what are you- Gods! Lilith?!"

"What? Lilith? What about her?" Felicia's voice was audible.

Soon enough, everyone made it, and they caught on to what had happened. Several of the army were sympathetic, but not truly in pain. Corrin, Felicia, Flora, Gunter and even Jakob seemed to be taking it the hardest.

They took some time to give Lilith a proper burial, with Gunter saying a few words. Afterward, Gunter assisted in keeping the troops moving along, while Jakob remained silent, and the maid sisters comforted each other. Only Corrin was left, until Xander approached her.

"Corrin… We need to go."

She sniffled. "I know… I just… I'm always scared that I'll lose someone. But I never thought it'd be Lilith."

The prince shook his head. "These kinds of things never go as we think they would. But it's not over yet. Remember why you're doing this! For Nohr!"

In a way, that is why I'm fighting, isn't it? "You're right… Lilith always hated it when I cried…" She wiped her tear as Xander put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay… I'll go back to being our leader now. We're almost at Fort Jinya."

Xander nodded. Then he noticed something in Corrin's other hand. "What's that?"

"This? Oh, it was Lilith's crystal ball. I suppose we can still travel to the Astral Plane. Not that it'd do us much good…" She sighed. "Okay… I'm good."

With that, Corrin and Xander left Lilith's burial site.

Chapter Text

"You couldn't stop before you killed Mother, or those townspeople! Or when you broke our sisters' hearts and humiliated all of us at the border! I hope you regret this every day, Kamui! You don't deserve happiness!"

Takumi…

"Don't you get it?! I did this for them! I didn't ask to be the boss of all the Kistune, but I am now! I have to try, for their sake!"

Kaden…

"I know you can… save everyone… without me… I love you…"

Lilith…

Corrin snapped out of her thoughts, shuddering. Flora gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you okay, Corrin?"

"…I'm good enough to lead. Are we looking at Fort Jinya?"

"We are."

Corrin and her close group of retainers had moved ahead of the troops in order to get an idea for the fort's layout, and to discuss plans before the invasion proper finally began. Kaze was the first to speak.

"We should be careful. Lady Sakura might be here. Fort Jinya is an old fortress, regularly used as a makeshift hospital. Lady Sakura normally makes visits to this place to heal the soldiers."

Corrin allowed herself to smile. "I didn't really get to know Sakura, but that sounds like something she'd do. She was so sweet…"

Silas cringed. "Wait, so Garon's making us attack a bunch of sick guys? Dude!"

"Not Garon, the monster pretending to be Garon!" Felicia corrected. "I forgot, how'd you figure that out, Azura?"

"…I literally cannot tell you."

"Well we might be able to explain our situation to Sakura, but it'll be tricky," said Corrin. "Before Father or any of his thugs show up, we could try a diplomatic approach."

At that time, Xander walked up to the group. "Corrin, are we ready to go?"

"Oh! Uh… I've decided that once we reach the fortress, we try to talk them into surrendering, in case we can avoid resorting to violence."

The crown prince sighed. "Corrin… I know you've shown distaste for fighting ever since you were last in Hoshido. But we can't just-"

"Oh relax, Lord Xander." Gunter gave him a look. "We're still taking the fort, she just suggests that we be pragmatic about it!"

"Oh. I see." He nodded his head. "In that case, I'm all for it. As much as I believe in Father… I don't agree with his methods. We'll do this your way, as we have been."

Inside Fort Jinya, Sakura was tending to a wounded soldier, just as Kaze predicted. Hoshido's top tactician, Yukimura, ran up to the princess in a panic. "Lady Sakura, haven't you heard?! You must leave at once!"

"Wh-why?"

"Nohrians have been reported to be not far from Fort Jinya! They could attack! You must flee, milady!"

Sakura paused for a moment. "…I won't."

"B-but you must!"

"N-no! I won't leave these soldiers defenseless! I'm healing them, they're my responsibility! A-and all my siblings are fighting too! I can't be the only one to sit out! I know how to fight now… Hana and Subaki are with me… We have to defend this fortress together!"

Yukimura sighed. "You really are like your siblings. Well… if you're staying, then I'm going to help. I'll arrange the most elaborate formation of automata I've ever created! Forbidden battle strategies that disgusted King Sumeragi! Lady Kamui will pay for her treachery!"

Sakura frowned. "I-I think you're getting carried away." She gasped. "Wait, Kamui?! She's here too?!"

"Indeed."

"…V-very well…"

The Nohrians stood at the front, and Corrin sighed. "I guess they're not interested in talking. Okay… Invasion time." She turned to her troops. "All right, we all remember what Kaze told us about this place. So let's go!"

Everyone split into two teams. Corrin, Flora, Elise, Arthur, Leo, Silas, Kaze and Izana would all take on the western half of the fortress.

"We must spread the notion of justice," Arthur declared. "By force!"

Meanwhile, Xander, Camilla, Azura, Gunter, Jakob, Laslow, Felicia and Anna were set to infiltrate the eastern half of the fortress.

"Now Jakob, remember to keep your back straight during this invasion," Gunter said. "No one likes a conqueror with poor posture."

"Grrrr…"

"I heard that growl, young man!"

This was it, the invasion had finally begun in earnest. Groups of Hoshidan Oni Chieftains rushed for the invaders without a moment to lose.

"Let's see…" Corrin opened a tome and began flipping through pages. "Fireball… No, there's too many… Lightning bolt? That seems a bit advanced. Put them to sleep if they touch a spinner? Who even has a spell like that?! Ugh." Corrin put aside the tome and instead shifted into dragon form. "Surrender now, and you won't get hurt!"

"…Nah," all the Oni said at once. The dragon sighed.

As the draconic princess took on the incoming fighters, Elise picked them off from a distance with some stray fireballs. "Heeheehee! Run, run, or you'll be well done!"

Arthur spared his liege a concerned stare. "Lady Elise, I'm beginning to think the power is going to your head."

"I HAVE ALL THE POWER IN THE WOOOOOOORLD!" Elise screamed, throwing more fireballs at the Hoshidans and some random shrubbery.

Elsewhere in the mob, Silas was just sitting still in shock. An automaton was ready for him. Its hand shifted into a buzz saw, and it wheeled over to the knight in order to scar him.

Tickticktickticktick-

"Silas!" Kaze materialized and cut the robot in half with a shuriken. "What are you doing?! Fight!"

"Oh, sorry. I just thinking about how I was assigned to capture this fortress before Lady Elise dragged me away to save Corrin in the swamp. And now here I am, invading Fort Jinya. Like it was meant to be! Funny how life works, huh Kaze?"

"…Just stay on your toes, Silas."

"That'll be a little hard on horseback."

"Oh gods…"

Leo was fending for himself, but took great measures to ensure that none of his attacks from Brynhildr were lethal. This caught the attention of Izana.

"Hey Leo, any reason you're not as ruthless as usual?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! I need plausible deniability," Leo said. "If Corrin and Kaze are correct, the younger Hoshidan princess might be here. So I'm with the invasion, but technically I'm only fighting in self-defense. That way, I don't come across as a bloodthirsty tyrant."

"…Pfft! Haha! You're trying to butter up the princess behind all these soldiers we're fighting?! Hahaha!"

"…Well when you say it like that…"

Izana tried his best Leo impression, "Hey Princess Sakura! I know I'm a major figure in your enemy's army, and I helped them invade your fortress. But I just sat there like a lump for most of it, want to have tea sometime?!" He broke into laughter.

"…You're mocking me."

"Azura, I need some help!" Anna cried out, dodging arrows from enemy robots. But the song never came. "Azura! Any time now!" Still no song, but more arrows. "Yoohoo! C'mon, gotta sing Lost in Thoughts for the millionth time, let's go!"

"I bet Sakura hates me now… No, she's too nice for that. In fact, that's even worse. I didn't deserve her."

Anna sighed. "Never mind…"

A series of daggers soared through the air, each one destroying the attacking robots.

"There we go," said Jakob. "Does that do anything for you, old man?"

"You could have destroyed them quicker, before they started attacking the saleswoman for a second time," said Gunter. The old knight then pulled out a cup. "And this tea is bitter! Like you! Where's the love?!"

"That's the best tea you're going to get in the middle of a battlefield!"

Anna slid up to Gunter. "That's where he's wrong. For the low, low price of 1500 gold, I can give you a bag of tea powder, said to-"

"Balderdash! Tea made from a solution is not tea at all!" Jakob cried.

The redheaded woman shamelessly grinned. "Oh yeah? Why don't we both give it a go and see which one Gunter likes better?"

Gunter tapped his chin. "I am curious to see what this new powdered tea craze is about… But we're still in enemy territory, so we need a spotter." Gunter looked over. "Lady Azura, can you keep an eye on us?"

She sniffled. "Would Hinoka hate me, though? She was always so emotional…"

"Perfect! Let's begin!" Thus Jakob and Anna began their tea-making contest. They got to work right away, using a lowered levee as their table. Neither the contestants nor Gunter and Azura noticed the presence of a male Falcon Knight at first.

"…This was unexpected," said the Falcon Knight.

"Do you mind?!" Jakob called out. "We are in the middle of a tea-making contest!"

"Aren't you the invaders?"

"What of it?! I must prove that my tea is superior to Anna's concoction!"

"Call it what you like, dear. But it'll work way better than your bitter old brew!"

The Falcon Knight glared from his vantage point. "Why… How dare you! I'm the one who makes tea around here! And if I may say so, my tea is absolutely perfect!" He landed his Pegasus and marched over to the tea-making table. "Consider me a part of this contest now!"

With that, the Falcon Knight began making tea. Jakob scowled. "You're not even washing your hands first!"

"It's okay, my hands are impeccably clean. Observe." The enemy showed his hands. They were so spotless, the sunlight reflected off them and blinded Jakob.

"Gaaah!"

"Aha! Now that you're distracted, I shall be the first one done!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Anna said. "I'm already done! Ta-da!" She held up a glass of tea.

"Ooh. May I have it now?" asked Gunter. The merchant grinned darkly.

"I think… uh… you…" she looked at the Falcon Knight.

"Subaki."

"I think Subaki should have the first drink. Bottoms up!" Anna grabbed Subaki's head and angled it up, allowing her to force her tea down his throat.

"Baah! That tasted… awful! And now… I… feel a… bit… sleepy…" Subaki fell backward, and Gunter glared.

"You were going to give me that, Anna?!"

"Hey, I said this was the best tea you could get on the battlefield! What better tea than something that puts the enemy to sleep?"

"…Touche."

Sakura took a deep breath from atop her hidden shelter. She caught sight of Princess Camilla soaring through the air, avoiding the shuriken launchers. "I… I'm sorry about this!" She drew an arrow and fired, hitting the wyvern dead on, causing Camilla to crash into the ground.

"Camilla!" Xander yelled. "Are you hurt?!"

"Yes, I'll be fine. That cute little princess has grown a bit since last time. Good for her. That makes me feel even less bad about crushing her."

Sakura squeaked, but steeled herself. She ran to the edge of the roof and looked down at the invaders. "G-get out of here! Y-you're not welcome in Hoshido!"

From where she and Xander stood, Camilla rolled her eyes. "Of course we aren't, princess. That's the point of an invasion.

"I-I-I'm not afraid of you!" Camilla and Xander could hear the wavering in her voice. The lilac-haired princess turned to her brother.

"Aww, she sounds like you used to!"

"Camilla, don't embarrass me in front of the enemies!"

Sakura let out a sigh. "Okay, I am afraid of you! B-but that won't be enough to stop me!"

"I'll commend your bravery when I see it for myself," Xander called. "But for now, you're still hiding out of reach."

Sakura reached for another arrow, but gasped when she realized she had none. She looked to the side and noticed a ballista. Thinking fast, she went over to operate the device. "I-I'll shoot! D-don't think I won't!"

The Nohrian princess shook her head. "Way to go, Xander."

Elsewhere in the fortress, Corrin and Flora were fighting together, using magic in unison. Corrin fought with fire, while Flora hit the enemies with ice shards. "When did you learn to use magic again, anyway?" Flora asked.

"I practiced a bit on the boat ride." Then Corrin squinted. "Huh, is that girl glaring at us?"

Indeed, a female Swordmaster was glaring at Corrin. She drew her sword and began charging for the princess. "Hiyaaaaaaaa-"

"Uh-oh."

Corrin quickly put the tome away and blocked the incoming attack with Grim Yato. "Whoa! That was close!"

Flora went in for a slash attack, but the samurai jumped away. "Hmph! I'm glad I found you, Lady Kamui! Now I get to be the one to kill you!"

"Why do I have the feeling this goes beyond nationalism?" the maid asked. The samurai scoffed at her.

"Shut up, Nohrian! I'm talking to the one you've brainwashed!"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Corrin yelled.

"You shut up too! You have some nerve…" Her glare intensified. "First you had to go and get kidnapped! When Lady Sakura first learned about that, do you know how much she cried?! And for what?! A traitorous scumbag of a sister who comes into her life long enough to kill her mother before running back into Nohr!" The samurai's sword shook in her fists. "You're the worst! Literally all you've done for Sakura is make her cry!" She shuddered. "Wh-why?! Why do you hate her so much?! What did she ever do to you?!"

Corrin winced. "I… I didn't… When I made my choice-"

"There's no excuse for you!" the samurai sobbed. Flora took note of this.

"Are… you crying?"

"N-No! And I said shut up!" The pink and white samurai rushed toward Flora and swung her blade. The tribalist tried blocking with her dagger, but her enemy was relentless. However, the Hoshidan's fervor allowed her to forget Corrin's presence. Corrin joined the fray and struck the samurai from behind. "Aaaaah!"

"Sorry!"

With a wave of her free hand, Flora took this moment to freeze the samurai's legs to the ground. "Stay put, okay?"

But Flora did not even register to the samurai. "Grrr! I hate you Kamui! You ruined Lady Sakura's life! I hope someday someone you love betrays you! Then you'll know how Sakura feels!"

Corrin said nothing at first, before slowly walking away. "...Let's go ahead, Flora…"

"R-right…"

At the back of the fortress, Yukimura sat upon his mechanical lion. Laslow and Felicia were the first to reach him.

"Now, Felicia! As we rehearsed! Seduce him!"

"Wh-what?!"

"Seduce him!"

"I'm not doing that!" Felicia cried. "I just wanna talk to more people, I never wanted to go on dates!"

Yukimura overheard this. "Wait, am I not good enough for you, Nohrian Scum?"

"Eww! You're, like, forty-something!"

"Well that's just not polite. But what can one expect from you devils?"

"And I'm not Nohrian!" Felicia cried out. "I'm from the Ice Tribe!"

"Yeah! And I'm from the future of Yl- I mean I'm also… not… from Nohr," Laslow's voice trailed off.

Corrin and Flora caught up to Yukimura. "It's over, Yukimura. Surrender and there won't be any trouble!"

The mechanist laughed darkly. "Two against one isn't a problem for a tactician like me. Because neither is four against two."

Felicia quirked her head. "…Huh?"

"Replicate!"

In a flash, Yukimura had created an exact replica of himself and his mechanism. The two Yukimuras nodded at each other and got into a back-to-back formation, firing arrows at all four enemies.

"Aaaaah!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd flirted with him like I said!" Laslow screamed.

Corrin turned into a dragon, allowing her scaly hide to protect herself and Flora. "Felicia, Laslow, hurry over here!"

The west-facing Yukimura glared and hit a switch. His mechanism began to fire a shuriken, which hit Corrin and made her shudder. "Defense reduced. Now…" He hit another switch, resuming the arrow onslaught and nailing Corrin with a few arrows. "Direct hit!"

"AAAAAH!"

"Corrin!" Flora cried.

The dragon fell over, and the maid gasped, realizing she was now exposed to the mechanist's attacks. Yukimura shook his head. "Only flesh…"

"JUSTICE STRIKES!"

Yukimura looked, then quickly ducked under a hand axe flying past. "You missed! Idio- Huh?" He then noticed that the axe had struck a column, and it was crumbling- headed right for him. "OH NO!"

The replica of Yukimura was crushed before he could even move, and the real one looked away from Felicia and Laslow to witness this. "Nooo! My replica!" At that time, Arthur had made it up to the scene and tackled Yukimura, knocking him off his mechanism. "Ack! No! Lady Mikoto rolls in her grave!"

When Sakura had finally run out of arrows, she hurried to the fort's main entrance in order to find the arrow reserve. But she came across the sight of a maid supporting a wounded Corrin, a blonde Hero tying Yukimura with rope, and another Hero telling another maid to seduce Yukimura.

"O-oh no…!" Sakura's face paled, as she froze up. "I-I don't have any way to defend myself…" She looked upon Corrin. "K-Kamui! I-I know you and your f-friends could easily kill me… but I won't let you hurt the wounded soldiers inside!"

Everyone heard her, and Corrin merely frowned. "Sakura… This fortress belongs to Nohr, now. It's over." She tried to move forward, so Flora let her go. "We're not going to cause any more trouble. Those soldiers inside can continue to heal."

"I… I don't trust you…"

Corrin sighed and planted Grim Yato in the ground. "As long as this fortress is under my control, that means I decide what happens to the soldiers inside. And I declare them-"

"Now wait just a second!" Garon's familiar voice startled everyone. Sakura, Yukimura, and all the invaders gasped at the sight of King Garon. With him were his two favorite cronies and an entourage of soldiers. "…Why're y'all so surprised? I told ya I'd be joinin' ya sooner or later!" He shook his head. "Danged fortress, makin' us split inta two groups…"

At this time, the two elder Nohrian heirs rejoined the party, along with Leo.

"Father, it's good to see you again," Xander said. "Er, would you like anything?"

"I want this danged fortress!" Garon turned to Corrin. "Corrin, did you conquer it yet?!"

"Uh… yeah. Pretty much. We were just going over the terms of their surrender."

Garon narrowed his eyes. "Surrender?!"

Think fast, Corrin! "Yes! They said they'd give us this fortress if… uh…"

"If we spare the princess!" Leo intervened. Corrin made a note to thank Leo for this later. "So we're sparing the princess, and since they were such darned good sports about this whole invasion bit, we figured there was no reason to kill anyone else. Pretty pragmatic, huh? Do you love me again, Father?" Unlike Corrin, Xander made a note to teach Leo about tact.

"Hmm… Ain't this the place with all the sick guys?" Garon asked. Iago nodded.

"Oh indeed! This place is one large infirmary for them."

"Well I'd like to save strength for the campaign, but sick guys can't put up much of a fight. And they're not good for much anyhow! Hans, go kill 'em!"

"YAAAAY! HANS KILL! LET'S GO!"

Hans led a small team of knights past Corrin's own, and right into the fortress. Sakura gasped. "N-no! You can't! Th-they can't even fight back!"

Garon shrugged. "And? That's the point!"

Sakura began to hyperventilate. "B-but… but I… How could you… This is too cruel!"

Arthur shook his head. "No justice… Where is the justice?! Oh the humanity!"

Yukimura glared at his captor. "What would you know of justice, Nohrian attack dog?!"

"Sleep." Iago waved his hand and cast a sleeping spell on the mechanist. Camilla huffed.

"Father, you know I'm not squeamish, but this is really unnecessary."

"Don't you talk back to me, girl!" Garon roared, making Camilla jump. He then cleared his throat. "So good job, Corrin. Ya conquered yer first fortress! I don't count that one by the canyon, considering you got kidnapped after that. Tie up the princess and all these hippies lying around outside, and we can plan the next stage."

"Why not just kill them?" Iago asked.

"I thoughta that, but they might pull a kamikaze or whatever," Garon explained. "Like I said, sick guys don't fight back as much."

"N-no! I won't let this happen!" Sakura tried to run into the fortress, but Garon snapped his fingers, and some of his knights quickly subdued the princess. They began tying her with rope. All Sakura could do was turn her head toward Corrin. "K-Kamui… help!"

"I..."

But then Sakura sighed. "No… You're not going to help… You d-didn't want to be part of this family, anyway…" She sniffled. "I understand…"

Corrin said nothing as the scene unfolded. Not even Leo's hand on her shoulder registered. All she could notice were the voices in her head, the voices that had been haunting her.

Takumi…

Kaden…

Lilith…

And Sakura.

Chapter Text

The sun was setting. Before Corrin and Azura stood the last landmark until Shirasagi: the Great Wall of Suzanoh. Corrin turned to Azura.

"Who is Susan O, anyway?"

Azura sighed. "Suzanoh Goldblum. That's the name of the man who sold this wall to the king before Sumeragi."

"…Sold?"

"Yes. He called himself the 'Wall King'."

"You're joking me."

"I am the Wall King."

…

The scene changed to an older gentleman, Suzanoh, standing before the Great Wall.

"They call me, of course, the Wall King because of, ah, all these, um, walls. Walls that I, uh, sell." He started waving his fingers, making a list. "Brick, plank, log. Defensive, contemporary, traditional. And all walls."

Wall King leaned closer. "And, ah, don't tell anyone, but… I'm having a sale." He shrugged. "It may seem, ah, counterintuitive that I'm- I'm here announcing this to the Hoshidan public as if it were our little secret. But in fact, um, not everyone knows about this, and, uhh, nor should they. It's a sale. I am the Wall King."

…

"…I bet it went exactly like that," Corrin said. Azura just stared at her.

"Mmmmmmilady!" Iago called out. Corrin and Azura both sighed as they saw Iago approach.

"Oh good. Iago. He is my favorite. Said no one ever," Azura joked.

"Hush! Anyway, His Mmmmmmmajesty believes we should mmmmake our next mmmmove."

Corrin rolled her eyes. "And what would Father have me do this time?"

"It's simple, really. Conquer the Great Wall. Or at least distract the soldiers long enough that we can slip through and provide assistance from past the wall," Iago explained. "You're even allowed to keep the squad you've been leading." He grinned. "How's that? Sound tough enough yet?"

"…Okay… You're smiling. Why are you smiling?"

"Because this time, King Garon won't be fighting. So he's not afraid of any kamikaze mmmmaneuvers from fallen soldiers. In other words, he sees no reason to spare them!" He got right in Corrin's face. "Understand me? Kill them all, Lady Corrin. Even the prince!"

Corrin sighed. "Fine."

"What, no whining?"

That earned Iago a glare from the red-eyed princess. "You're the one who does all the whining, Iago! Whatever! I'll kill Takumi! I didn't even like him that much anyway!"

"Good."

Iago walked away, and then Corrin ran over and hugged Azura.

"Oh gods Azura I didn't mean it I didn't mean that I'm okay with killing Takumi I mean we didn't talk very much and he's said nothing but mean things about me but I'm sure if we weren't at war we could've gotten along I always respected his abilities with a bow and kinda secretly hoped he would teach me back when I was staying here for a few weeks and technically he was supposed to be my little brother instead of Leo it's not his fault but now here we are and I gotta kill him or Iago will get mad and Iago will tell Dad and Dad will kill me and then kill Takumi!"

"…I only got every third word of that." She awkwardly pat Corrin's back. "There, there?"

Corrin's forces got closer to the Great Wall. And near the top waited none other than Prince Takumi. The prickly boy summoned all his might and shouted to the incoming Nohrians.

"YOU NOHRIANS ARE WASTING YOUR TIME! AS LONG AS I'M ALIVE, I WILL NOT LET YOU THROUGH HERE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! I WILL LITERALLY DIE BEFORE YOU GET THROUGH!" He snarled at the sight of Corrin. "AND I SEE YOU THERE, CORRIN!"

Corrin returned the glare. "DON'T MAKE THIS ANY HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE, TAKUMI!"

"THIS IS THE END OF THE ROAD! YOU'RE GONNA DIE LIKE THE OLD HAG YOU ARE, YOU AND YOUR WHITE GRANDMA HAIR!"

The conqueror pouted and shyly grabbed a lock of her hair. "I was born albino, it wasn't my fault…" She sniffled.

"He's one to talk, with that grayish hair of his," Anna remarked.

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE TODAY, CORRIN! I MEAN IT! I'LL EVEN KILL MYSELF IF IT MEANS GETTING RID OF YOU! I'LL NOT REST UNTIL I'VE STUCK TWENTY ARROWS IN YOU!"

"Heavens, he's passionate about this," Camilla commented. Then she blinked. "Oh dear, where did Elise run off to?"

"Oh, she decided to visit the captured princess," Leo answered, with subtle jealousy in his voice. "I don't think Father will even notice that she's not with us."

"Hmm. Very well. One less precious sibling to worry about."

Though the sun was setting in Hoshido, there was still enough daylight for the Nohrians to begin their assault. Most of the troops would hurry to the wall's main gates for a direct assault. In the meantime, Corrin, Camilla, Anna and Izana would move across the canyon and clear out some soldiers waiting there. The idea was to sandwich the Hoshidan fighters before moving into the wall.

However, the Hoshidans on the higher ledges would be sure to take shots at the invaders whenever possible. Camilla in particular was in danger, but she had her little sister there, ready to sling fireballs at any offenders.

A Master of Arms stood by a section of four fortresses, urging his allies to run past. "Samurai, famed leader at Bottomless Canyon, escapee from Fort Dragonfall, and now Master of Arms, shall not allow the Hoshidans to lose! He is now the Rallyman! And rally he shall! Like the wind! NEVER GIVE UP!"

The ground units all cheered and willingly took on the incoming Nohrians. Xander, Laslow, Arthur, Gunter, Jakob, Silas and Kaze all got held up in pushing back against the troops. However, four others made it to the four fortresses.

"Halt!" Rallyman ran up to greet his opponents: Leo, Azura, Felicia and Flora. "You don't really want to invade Hoshido."

"No, I think we really do," Leo countered.

"No… Instead, you want to be recognized as your own man!" Rallyman declared. Leo blinked. "Yes! Rallyman sees it! For years, you've been in your brother's shadow. But Prince Leo, you are still your own person! You are still capable of greatness!" He turned to face Flora. "And that goes for you as well! You need not be envious of your sister's successes in life!"

Felicia gasped. "Flora, you were jealous of me?"

"Uh… Well…"

"Haha! Wow! And I was jealous of you, because you're so good at cleaning and stuff!" Felicia grabbed Flora and hugged her. "Aww! We're similar!"

"…You're good," Leo told Rallyman. Felicia let go and clapped her hands.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me! Talk to me next!"

Rallyman nodded and pointed. "You always try to be the best maid you can be, but you excel in combat! Do not ignore your gifts, Felicia! Rarely is one's true calling what they initially set out to do. Just look at Rallyman! He was a samurai at first! He even considered being a Swordmaster!"

Azura sighed. "Are we seriously letting this guy encourage us? We have important things to do!"

"Azura, have you considered that you're using the war as a distraction from your feelings?" asked Rallyman.

"Wh-what? Well… Maybe a little…"

The Master of Arms was already sitting on an inexplicable stool, with a couch set up. "Why don't you have a seat and tell Rallyman about your problems?"

Azura was already seated. "I think it really started when my mother met King Garon…"

To the east, Camilla crossed the canyon. Several Hoshidans and their ballistae tried to shoot her down, but Anna repaid the favor. In addition, Corrin and Izana were both mounted on one of Izana's energy dragons, with the Nohr Noble flinging lightning bolts at the Hoshidans.

"Hey, Izana, I have a question," Corrin told Izana once they landed.

"Why yes, my hair is real!"

"No, I mean about Camilla. Do you think we should tell her the truth? You were able to talk to Leo. She'd believe you, right?"

"Hmm…" Izana tapped his foot. "I wonder if she would." He looked over. "Camilla, want to have your fortune told?"

But the Malig Knight was already flying off, slaughtering Hoshidans with her axe. "Hahahahaha!"

Anna whistled. "Wow, she's really getting into it."

Further west, the rest of the ground forces broke through Rallyman's battalion. Unaware of their allies'… situation with the Master of Arms, they crossed the bridge to reach the wall's main gate. One of Takumi's retainers was there to meet them, along with a group of Swordmasters.

"He-hey, it's the Nohrians!" Hinata announced. "Okay guys, have at 'em!"

Xander, Laslow and Kaze all managed to take out a few Swordmasters and move on, but then Swordmaster Hinata stepped in to take on the rest of the Nohrians. Arthur prepared his axe. "Stand down, citizen!"

"I don't think so! Here I come!" Hinata charged at Arthur cut him down at once. "Haha! I can't lose!"

"That was only one of us, rookie!" Gunter rode his horse up to the retainer and jabbed with his lance. Hinata quickly flipped away, but noticed Silas and his horse behind him. Hinata gasped again and narrowly avoided Silas's javelin. The two knights began circling Hinata (and a fallen Arthur) upon their horses. "Which one of us will attack you? Hmm?"

"Uhh…" Hinata put a finger to his chin. "Hold on, give me a moment."

"What?" Gunter shook his head. "No, don't actually guess! I was being facetious!"

"It was me!" Silas called, throwing his javelin. But he missed and hit Arthur, right on the butt.

"Yowch! My left cheek of justice!"

Hinata giggled. "Heheh! He named it. OOF!"

Gunter had made it behind Hinata and conked him with the butt of his lance, knocking him out. The Great Knight then turned to Jakob, whom was further behind. "Jakob, hurry up and heal Arthur!"

"Stop rushing me, Old Man! You know I don't have a horse!"

Suzanoh walked alongside the Great Wall after the battle.

"Anyway we're, ah, at the sight of a horrible battle. Hoshidan bodies everywhere. Which I like, don't be alarmed by… that. There's nothing about the… fleeting aspect of life that, uh, war always reminds us of. That is, uh, there's something about that that can be enlightening, that you go, 'Hoo, I could be killed by invaders any day, whether I purchased a giant wall or not.' I am the Wall King."

"…And I think that might be why I started distancing myself from people," Azura said. Rallyman nodded sympathetically. By this time, Leo and the maids sat on stools of their own.

"Azura, you have several people who love you. But Rallyman thinks you need to love yourself first."

"…You're right."

"Now… Go love yourself! All of you, love yourselves! You can do it! Rallyman believes in you! You can do anything!"

"Yeah!" Felicia stood up. "Let's start by taking this wall! What's a bunch of soldiers next to a group of people who believe in themselves?!"

Rallyman gulped. "O-oh, but, uh, not that. Rallyman may have… exaggerated…"

"I'll show those Hoshidans what I'm made of!" Flora announced. "It's time I believed in myself!"

"Yes. I have a lot of good things in life, I should appreciate them for what they are," said Leo. "Let's go."

With that, the four left Rallyman behind. "…Oops. Rallyman may have to skip town…"

"H-hey…" Elise was checking in on Sakura. The latter was being kept in a guarded room in Fort Jinya. "I brought you a blanket. I thought you might be cold…"

Sakura said nothing. She sat in the corner, hiding her face in her knees. Elise frowned when she noticed a plate of untouched food on the floor by Sakura.

"You know… You should eat. Corrin- I mean Kamui made sure you'd be safe… It'd make her sad if you didn't stay healthy."

Silence.

"O-okay… I'll just check back later… Enjoy your new blanket…"

Xander, Kaze and Laslow managed to join with Corrin and Camilla's team, and they fought toward the stairs, ascending the Great Wall's interior. As they went, Xander spared a glance at his ninja friend. "Kaze, are you doing well?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Are you?"

"Indeed."

Xander and Kaze continued their fight, but Laslow seemed perturbed. "Um, I'm doing well myself, milord."

"I don't recall asking, Laslow."

"Oh…" The Hero sunk his head. They kept going for a while, until Laslow spoke to his lord again. "Lord Xander, I have a question for you."

"What is it?" Xander did not look away from his path.

"If, oh I dunno, I packed my bags and never came back to Nohr, would you be upset? After the war, of course."

The prince remained silent as he cut down another Hoshidan, and then turned to Laslow. "It would be unfortunate to lose you, Laslow. But I have Kaze here, I'm sure he could take your place."

Kaze gave Xander a look. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Kaze… You're like the brother I never had."

"What about Leo?!"

Xander shook his head. "Leo is the brother I already have. You're the brother I never had. Pay attention, Kaze." From atop his horse, Xander patted Kaze's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll help teach you Nohrian when we get back."

"So… you won't miss me at all?" asked Laslow.

"That's not it. I merely said that if you were to leave me, I'd have a replacement lined up." Xander smiled. "Besides, Camilla, Corrin and Elise get along with him famously."

The ninja stared at his Nohrian friend. "You do know I'm Lady Corrin's retainer, right?"

"Oh, she already has enough retainers."

Kaze sighed. "I'll… think about it."

Laslow moaned, and stomped past the two of them, up onto the rampart. He then ran back down. "Guys, there is a crazy lady with a spear making faces out there!"

Xander and Kaze followed Laslow back outside, where Spear Master Oboro waited. "Evil Nohrians!" She rolled her eyes. "Okay, that term is redundant. But whatever! I won't fail my Lord Takumi!"

"Well I won't fail my father," Xander said. "And I believe those are irreconcilable goals."

"Oh, that's it!" Oboro leapt for Xander and the Paladin winced, blocking with Siegfried. But suddenly, a Basara followed Oboro's attack and knocked Xander off his horse with a bolt of lightning.

"Aaaah!"

"Why you…!" Laslow ran in and crossed weapons with Oboro. "Hmm… You know, if you weren't making that face, I'm certain you'd be quite the heartbreaker!"

"You sicko! I'll break more than your heart!" Oboro backed off from Laslow, and twirled her weapon. "Rend… HEAVEN!" She dashed past Laslow, striking him down. "Filthy Nohrian devil."

"Oww…."

"Whoa!"

The Basara flew past Oboro and landed on his back, unconscious. The retainer turned to find Kaze standing between her and the beaten Xander. As they stared each other down, Kaze was in a battle stance, ready to go.

"Oboro…"

"Suzukaze…"

"You seem well. Did you ever solve that mouse problem in the pantry?"

"Yeah. You know, it actually wasn't a mouse. It was a rat. Kind of like you!"

Kaze rolled his eyes. "And here I thought we could just make some small talk."

"You abandoned your country!"

"I had a perfectly good reason."

Oboro's demon face did not let up. "And what would that be?!"

"…Okay, stay with me on this," Kaze warned. He did not seem aware of Camilla and her wyvern reaching up to the rampart. "If we can get King Garon to sit on Queen Mikoto's throne, he'll be revealed as a monster."

Camilla and Oboro's reactions were the same. "What?!"

Corrin gasped. "Kaze, why'd you say that?!"

Camilla turned to her. "You know what he's saying?!"

"Uh…"

Kaze turned around. "Oh! H-hey there… Lady Camilla… and Lady Corrin…" Oboro cut Kaze across the torso with her naginata. "GAAH!"

With all three of her foes defeated, Oboro went up to the rampart's edge to glare at the Nohrians. "You don't scare me!"

Izana and Anna rode in on one of the Archduke's energy dragons, before hopping off by the three unconscious men. "Ta-da! It's Izana Time!"

Oboro gave him a look. "What are you-"

"Sleep." Izana calmly pinched a nerve on Oboro's neck, putting her to sleep. "I get the credit for defeating her! I succeeded where Prince Xander and his top men failed! Always bet on the Archduke!"

While Anna was already tending to Xander, Laslow and Kaze, Camilla landed her wyvern. She and Corrin dismounted. "Corrin, what are you and Kaze hiding from me?"

The princess sighed. "Camilla… please don't get mad."

A serene smile formed on the older princess's face, as she put her hands on Corrin's shoulders. "Oh I could never be mad at you, dear! …I'd be mad at whomever put any rotten ideas in your head instead!"

Corrin shivered. "Well… Father is being replaced by a hideous monster, and that monster is the one who's been orchestrating the entire war. And if we can conquer Hoshido and let the fake Garon sit on the throne, it will show everyone that he's a fake, and then we can get rid of him without anyone thinking we're traitors. And then after that we can do something about fixing Nohr." She silently pleaded with her eyes for Camilla to believe her.

"Corrin… I know you're… a little shocked by Father's behavior, considering you've spent most of your life in that fortress…"

"But it's true!" Corrin claimed. "Ask Azura! Ask Izana over there! Heck, ask Selena!" She nodded. "Yeah, Laslow was telling me all about it! He knows it, Odin knows it, and Selena knows it too! And… also Anna for some reason."

Anna whistled innocently as she continued healing Xander.

"Actually, that's why I tagged along!" Izana said. "I wanted to see what was going on with this Garon impostor!"

Camilla sighed. "Corrin… I believe that you believe something has happened to Father. That your heart is in the right place. But-"

"Look… We have to take this wall from Takumi. Can we talk more later?"

"…Yes."

Corrin and her sister made it to the top of the wall, where Takumi stood ready. He aimed Fujin at the two princesses. "There you are, Corrin! I've been waiting for this! I've dreamed of nothing but ending your life!"

To that, the dragon princess frowned. "R-really? You hate me that much?"

"Yes!" Camilla could almost swear that the boy's mouth was foaming. "The sound of your screaming when I kill you! It will be glorious! You abandoned your family and Hoshido! And now you'll pay for your betrayal! So just DIE ALREADY!"

He immediately fired at Corrin, but she jumped out of the way, and Camilla glared. "I think it's time you learned some manners, little boy!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?! Grrrr! This is all I have left in my life! I'll gladly throw it away if it means killing all of you!"

By that point, Izana had joined the sisters at the top. "Hoo boy, Prince Takumi's in a rotten mood today!"

Takumi's glare turned toward the Archduke. "And you! Betraying Hoshido for Nohr! You disgust me!"

"Hey I never said I'd help you guys!"

Takumi fired successive shots from Fujin in an attempt to kill both Izana and Camilla. But while he did this, Corrin took the opportunity to run up to Takumi and slash him with Grim Yato.

"AAAAAH!" Takumi flailed back in pain, and growled. One hand let go of Fujin, and he punched Corrin in the face.

"Aaah!" Corrin felt her nose. She could tell it was bleeding. Then Takumi kicked her in the shin before grabbing Fujin Yumi again, knocking Corrin to her knees.

"Finally, I get to kill you!"

Izana ran in to make a move, and Camilla attempted to fly closer, but a Hoshidan Sniper stepped in to operate the ballista behind Takumi. The prince internally grinned, thanking the soldier for freeing him to kill Corrin.

"Takumi… I'm sorry. But I can't let it end yet!" She stood up and reached into her satchel, but Takumi shot her arm point blank. "AAAH!"

"No! I have to kill you!" He readied another arrow, but Corrin quickly ducked down and ran toward Takumi. One disadvantage of Fujin's arrows was that, while they were infinite in supply, they did not remain in their target, as they were made of wind. Corrin wrapped both her arms around Takumi and pinned him to the ground. "Gah! Get off me!"

Quickly, Corrin reached into her satchel and pulled out her Dragonstone. She transformed on the spot, managing to keep Takumi pinned to the floor. The prince struggled with all his might, but could not get up. "Phew… It's over, Takumi."

An energy horse galloped past the siblings and kicked the unnamed Sniper in the face, knocking him out. Izana's voice was audible. "Phew!"

The dragon turned down to her Hoshidan brother. "Takumi… You and your forces have lost. But you don't have to die! Do as we say, and I can bargain to-"

"I'm not listening to you! You're the bane of my existence!"

"He really is quite dramatic," Camilla mused.

Then Azura, Leo and Felicia ran up to meet everyone. "Lady Corrin, sorry we're late! See, we were getting advice and…" Felicia stopped. "Oh, are we interrupting?"

"Looks like the battle has already ended," said Leo.

Takumi's eyes scanned his surroundings, and he noticed Azura. "Oh! And you're here too! Well how's that?! Like a gods-danged family reunion!" He took a deep breath. "We could've been a family! But no! You and your lousy Nohrian family… I hate you, Corrin! I hate you, Azura! I hate all you Nohrians! Every last one of you! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Ha-"

"Okay, dude! We get it!" Leo was exasperated. "Seriously…"

Unfortunately, Corrin was still tired from her battle, and Takumi was as stubborn as they came. He finally broke free from under her draconic foot and scrambled over to the rampart. "You… You're the reason… for everything…! Hoshido… Mother… Orochi and Reina… my soldiers here…!"

Corrin reverted back to her human state and tried to walk closer to Takumi. "Takumi, please! If you'll be our prisoner, you'll get to see Sakura again!"

"You captured Sakura?!"

"We did, and she would probably enjoy your company," Leo told him.

Takumi shuddered, beginning to sob. "You… you betrayed us… You came back into our lives, just to kill Mother! Then you," sniffle, "abandon us! You humiliate and disgrace us at every turn… I've failed Ryoma and Hinoka… I've failed Hoshido… this family has fallen apart…"

"T-Takumi," Corrin was beginning to tear up as well. "I never meant to-"

Then something changed. "…It doesn't matter anymore."

Izana gasped. "Wait a second!" Then he and everyone else bore witness as Takumi began to be wreathed in purple flames. "Oh gods! He's not himself!"

Azura looked at him with genuine fear. "Should I sing?!"

"I'm going to stop you, Kamui! This isn't over!" With that, Takumi climbed onto the rampart and jumped off. Corrin, Azura and Izana all ran over in a futile attempt to stop him. They all looked down the wall, hoping to find Takumi. But they saw no evidence of Takumi landing.

They saw nothing at all.

And somehow, that scared Corrin even more.

Chapter Text

Corrin was not sure what to expect when she and the Nohrians marched through Shirasagi. But she figured that was just as well, because nothing could prepare her for the guilt trip she was embarking on.

"Told you so," Silas whispered.

Felicia pouted. "Gunter, I don't like this. They're saying mean things about us."

"Well Felicia, how many years do you have?"

"Twenty-four?"

"In that case, you're old enough to realize that you're in a war against these people. So naturally they aren't going to be fond of you."

The maid let out a sigh. "Yeah, but I still don't like it."

Azura smiled serenely. "It doesn't matter if these people love me. Because I love me. That's what Rallyman taught me." She looked over at Felicia. "Weren't you there when that happened?"

The villagers watched in equal measures of fear and disdain. One villager decided to make his voice heard. "Hey! Guys! Look! Remember that time one of the princesses betrayed us? Well here she is! With the enemy! Because she is with them! The enemies, that is!"

A second villager then blinked. "Wait, which one is she again?"

"Uh… Huh. I don't actually remember. She wasn't really here that long… Maybe it's the blonde one, with the headband and the high collar?"

"Pretty sure that's a dude."

"…But… he's so pretty!"

"What, men can't be pretty?"

Leo turned to the villagers. "Guys, I can hear you."

"Enough!" Iago waved his hand and cast a venomous fog unto the two villagers, killing them. "Mmmmarvelous!"

"Iago, they weren't even doing anything!"

"So?"

"HANS KILL!" Hans swung an axe and killed a random villager whom had not even done anything. "YAAAAAY!"

Xander witnessed this and felt his skin grow paler. "Oh gods my siblings were right. He really is a less attractive version of Peri…" He quickly shook his head and noticed that Corrin seemed to be slouching as she marched. "Corrin, you seem down. Would you like to ride behind me on the horse? That always cheers you up."

Corrin looked at her brother. "Xander, that hasn't made me feel happy in years."

"Corrin, you were literally asking to ride Sieghorse back when we left Izumo."

"…Okay that's true. But no, I just feel guilty."

"Well-"

Xander started, but was cut off by Iago. "Lord Xander, a word?"

"Ugh… What do you want?"

"We're just about at the castle. So Garon and I were talking, we think we should kill every last Hoshidan we come across past here," Iago said. One villager winced and snuck past, as to avoid Iago's definition of 'past here'. Xander and Iago ignored this.

"We're not even going to allow them to surrender?" asked Xander.

"What for? They're Hoshidans! It's not like they have souls!"

Kaze happened to be standing beside Xander, and stared at the Sorcerer. "You… You know that I'm Hoshidan, right?"

"Oh! Uh… But not you! You're one of the good ones! …Oh what do I care? If you mmmmurder me, you'll just be executed! I'm King Garon's favorite! So yeah. You have no soul. Loser."

The ninja kept staring. "…I don't like you."

"You're Hoshidan, that makes your feelings invalid."

Kaze's stare became an Oboro-esque death glare. "Soon…"

"So! Corrin!" Iago turned to his favorite punching bag. "You will lead the troops through this ridiculously large courtyard, while I see to the other squadrons about coming in from the other sides. Sound good? I don't care what you think, you're still Hoshidan to me. Okay bye!"

With that, the wizard scurried off to ostensibly lick Garon's boots. Corrin watched him with full animosity. "He sure seems happy today…"

"Corrin," Xander interrupted, "before we begin, would you tell me more about your guilt? There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Oh." Corrin blinked. "Well, one of Sakura's retainers reminded me of what I was doing to the royal family. And Takumi was really messed up, back at the wall. And all these villagers sound so hurt… and then I thought about Lilith again… and the fox men… and Cheve… Sometimes I think sparing the Ice Tribe is the only thing that went right for me."

"Corrin, do you regret your decision?"

The princess had to pause for a moment. "…No. I just regret that good people got hurt by it."

"Do you think that, if you chose differently, you could have avoided hurting other good people?"

"…Nooo…?"

"So there's really nothing you can do about it," Xander told his sister. "All you can do now is make sure that it doesn't go to waste. We Nohrians do what we do in pursuit of glory. But who decided what glory is? Why are they the ultimate authority?"

"Uh… I don't-"

"These are things I've asked myself before. And that was when I realized that there is no such thing as right or wrong. We can all agree on rules, but the world existed before rules were put into place. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"…To be honest, not really."

Xander sighed. "I'm saying that if someone a long time ago can decide what's right and wrong, then so can you. I decided that 'right' means loyalty to my kingdom. What do you think is the 'right' thing to do?"

Corrin looked down at her feet. "…I think… that I need to end this war as soon as possible. We're already here, we can't turn back now."

The crown prince nodded. "That version of 'right' doesn't clash with my own, so you have my support. Now let's figure out a plan with Leo and the others."

"Right."

Corrin and Xander left to formulate a plan, while Kaze stood in place. "…Not once did they address me in that entire exchange. What about my philosophy? Nohrians…"

At the north end of the courtyard, Falcon Knight Hinoka squinted as she tried to get the lay of the land. "She's here…"

Azama looked over. "Who?"

"Kamui… And Azura, too."

"Oh. Are we going to stop them?"

"…Yes." Hinoka sounded weary. "I gave them one last chance, but they wouldn't take it. I spent my life trying to bring Kamui back, and I kept trying to encourage Azura... but it wasn't enough," Hinoka said, more to herself than to Azama.

Setsuna waited nearby, shrugging. "It is what it is. Should we go now?"

"Yeah… And be careful, you two! You're the only friends I've got!"

Azama winced, even with his squinty eyes. "Huh. When we're your best friends, that's pretty sad."

"Azama!"

"Oh okay, I'll go find a vantage point or whatever."

Azama and Setsuna wandered off, respectively into a grove of trees and a pitfall. Hinoka groaned. "I didn't authorize any pitfalls, and neither did Ryoma! Who put that there?!"

Xander hurried to a small island in the middle of a pond. Leo had previously observed numerous Dragon Veins, which the army could use to their advantage, so that was the crown prince's destination. However…

"You son of a submariner!" Arthur's voice boomed. "I've caught wind of your opinions of justice!"

Elise nodded, following Arthur on her horse. "Yeah, Xander! You can't just go and say things like that!"

Xander let out a sigh. "Oh boy… Look, Sir Arthur-"

"Look nothing! I've spent years serving in the name of Lady Justice! And Lady Elise! Conveniently, those two happen to align," Arthur added as an aside. "But anyway, allow me to educate you on justice. You see, the notion of justice is-"

"TAKE THIS!"

A Kinshi Knight swooped down and struck Arthur with a naginata. However, as the attack connected, the naginata snapped, rendering it useless. Elise cheered.

"Hooray! Arthur's bad luck spared us the scary lady's attacks!"

"Rrr! Y-yes… milady…"

Xander made it to a Dragon's Vein and activated it. Immediately, wind pushed the Kinshi Knight to the ground. "Ouch!"

"Attack!" Xander and Elise began tag-team fighting the Kinshi Knight, hitting her with spells and sword beams.

All over the battlefield, Falcon Knights and Kinshi Knights were experiencing the same thing, all being pushed to the ground by the winds themselves. Far back at the castle gates, Hinoka glared.

"Someone's screwing around with the Dragon's Vein! Azama, was that you?!"

"Of course not, milady!" Azama's voice carried. "You know I don't have that ability!"

Hinoka worriedly looked around. "Ryoma hasn't left the castle… it must be the Nohrians."

"Well yeah," said an Oni Chieftain next to Hinoka. "You think Prince Ryoma just goofed up or something?"

The princess growled and waved her horse's reins. The Pegasus walked over to a nearby Dragon's Vein and dispersed the harsh winds. "There, now they can fly again!"

All the fliers were finally able to make it back to the sky. A number of Kinshi Knights flew over to Xander and Elise's position, all with arrows drawn.

"Uhhh!" Elise shifted her eyes between Xander and the defeated Arthur. "Anyone have any ideas?"

Xander spotted a second Dragon's Vein and hurried over to use it. All the Kinshi Knights were pushed to the ground again, just in time for Nohrian reinforcements to arrive.

"Yeah! It's Silas Time!" Silas announced. He rode in, swinging his sword at any Hoshidan he saw, with Gunter and Felicia following behind.

"Ugh… All this fighting.. and I still haven't had my tea!" Gunter complained. "We'd better get this over with so I can find Jakob!"

Felicia stopped fighting alongside Gunter and pulled out an empty cup. "Oh! I can make tea!"

"Like I said, I need to get Jakob to make me some tea after this!"

"Aww…"

"Corrin, you can't keep this from me. What are you planning, regarding Father?" Camilla nagged.

Azura gave Corrin a look. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing! But she overheard Kaze trying to-"

"Ugh," Azura was already frustrated. She took a deep breath. "Camilla, we're in enemy terri-"

"And I'm impatient!" She turned to the nearest Nohrian soldier. "Laslow, keep watch while I have a word with my sisters!"

"Uh, okay?"

Camilla faced Corrin and Azura, arms crossed. "Let's hear it."

Corrin sighed. "Camilla, I already told you back at the wall. Father was replaced by a monster, and we're going to expose him after we win this war."

"She's right, and I'm the one who told her," Azura confessed. "When we ran into Sir Gunter, I found a crystal ball and it told me that this Garon was an imposter. And then Gunter threw the crystal ball away."

"…You really expect me to believe that?"

Corrin winced. "Well… it's true."

"Oh Corrin… That logic might work on Elise, but not me." The eldest princess shook her head. "Laslow, are you hearing this? Would you believe someone if they told you that?"

Laslow began to sweat profusely.

"Oh don't tell me you believe it too." She blinked, remembering something else Corrin told her. "Laslow… does Selena think the same?"

Laslow's sweat intensified. His face and shoulders were soaked.

Worried, Camilla turned back to Corrin. "What about Leo? What does he think?" Corrin merely nodded, and Camilla sat completely still. Still enough that Marzia looked to her rider in concern. "Oh gods, you're telling the truth aren't you?"

"And the last horse crosses the finish line," Azura deadpanned. "No, wait, that'd be Xander."

"You mean Sieghorse," Corrin said. "That's the name of his horse."

"That's not… Wait, what?!"

Camilla shook her head. "I just can't believe it. So what happened to Father?"

"He died," Azura said. Corrin flinched.

"Uh, are you sure about that?" asked Corrin.

"Well… Maybe not. I don't know for sure. I guess he's merely under control, but I wouldn't count on it. But we can focus on that later, can't we? Come on."

The three princesses and Laslow began to make their way further ahead. The gray-haired man observed that Marzia was running instead of flying. "Lady Camilla, is there a problem with your wyvern?"

"The wind is strangely oppressive today," Camilla answered. "I bet someone was using a Dragon's Vein. I'll have to teach them a lesson…"

"It's me!" Azama announced.

Anna gasped. Flora and Izana exchanged shrugs.

"Mr. Monk! We meet again!"

"Oh, no. Mr. Monk was my father! I'm Azama. But enough of that." He pulled out a Freezing Staff and immediately the three invaders felt a surge of weakness. "Now hold still."

"Oh yeah? Take this!" Izana tried to reach for his scroll, but he could not move his arms. "Wait, why can't I move my arms? And why can I still move my mouth?"

"Gah! He used Freeze on us! I should've recognized it! Stupid!" Flora berated herself. "We're at his mercy now."

Anna glared. "I'll get you for this, monk guy!"

Azama merely yawned and waved off Anna's threat. He went over to a lawn chair, pulled out a drink and sat back. "Okay, you savages can stay there while I enjoy some me time."

The two Nohrian women stared in shock, while Izana grinned. "Hey, not bad! Mind if I steal that trick sometime?"

"Not now, I'm meditating."

"No, you're just sleeping!" Anna cried.

"That's what it looks like to you, anyway."

"Ugh!"

Flora shifted her eyes over to Anna. "Psst! We can surprise him once the Freeze wears off."

And so the three waited. It was not very long at all, before the Freeze wore off. Anna grinned, and began whispering to Flora. "All right, now we can-"

"Freeze." Azama simply waved the staff again, locking the merchant, maid and archduke in place. "Heh. Taunting my enemies is such fun!"

"Gaaah! Stupid staffbot!" Anna cursed.

Kaze tensed up and backflipped, avoiding an arrow. "Show yourself!"

"Actually I'm in front of you," Setsuna's calm voice droned.

The ninja gasped. "Setsuna! I didn't even notice you! Did you train as a ninja while I was gone?"

"Huh? No, I was just thinking… I'm hungry. Okay, gotta fight now." She lazily prepared another arrow and began to fire, but a flying dagger knocked her arrow away. "Aw man…"

Jakob approached, already preparing a second dagger. "We meet at last, Setsuna! Kaze told me stories about you. You are a disgrace to servants everywhere! I take personal offense! We must do battle at once!"

Setsuna stared blankly at the butler. "Oh. But what about Kaze? I was gonna fight him."

"No! We must fight!" Jakob glared at the Master Ninja. "Stay out of this." Kaze shrugged and allowed Jakob to duel the distracted Sniper. "Ready yourself, Hoshidan!"

Setsuna took a step back to prepare, but fell into an unexpected pitfall. "Oh shoot. It happened again."

"Pitfalls!" Jakob immediately began stalking around in circles on his tiptoes. "They could be anywhere! Crafty devil!"

"That is the last way I would describe Setsuna. Absolute last."

"Quiet! That's just what she wants you to thi- AAAH!" Jakob's argument allowed him to fall into a pitfall of his own. "Blast! Kaze, assist me!"

The green-haired man rolled his eyes. "Oh fine, I'll help ou- WHOA!" Kaze activated a third pitfall.

Leo sat in the distance, watching the entire affair unfold. He sighed and shook his head.

"This is just embarrassing…"

Finally, Corrin's small group made it to the end of the courtyard, and right in front of Hinoka herself.

"Kamui, Azura."

Corrin and Azura nodded, the latter speaking. "Hello, Hinoka."

"You know, I always wanted you to come home, to return to Castle Shirasagi. But not like this! Why, Kamui?! Azura?!"

"Oh please!" Camilla told her. "You might have known Corrin when she was young, but we're the ones who raised her. She's every bit our sister as she is yours. Maybe even more! Not to mention, Azura belonged with us in the first place! Isn't that right, Azura?"

"Uh... M-maybe?"

"Camilla, you're not helping-" Corrin tried to say, but was interrupted by Hinoka.

"You Nohrians just think you can have whatever you want! I heard about your famine!"

"There's a famine?!" Corrin shrieked. "Why didn't I know?!"

"Were you not paying attention to Gunter's lessons?" Camilla took the time to ask her little sister.

"You can't take care of your own kingdom, so your king decides to slaughter this one, huh?! Well I won't let that happen!" She narrowed her eyes. "I get it now! My purpose wasn't to bring Kamui back to Hoshido, or even Kamui and Azura! My training was so that I could slay you Nohrians and protect Castle Shirasagi!"

"If that's what you need to tell yourself," Camilla taunted.

"Grrr!" Hinoka activated the Dragon's Vein and changed the air. She flew high into the sky, and Camilla followed. Corrin watched, with the dread plain on her face.

"Camilla's not going to hold back, even if she knows about the plan! We have to stop Hinoka before she does!"

Azura scanned her surroundings and caught Azama freezing Anna, Flora and Izana yet again, off in the distance. "I have a plan."

"Ah, I could keep doing this all day," Azama stated. "Are you barbarians having fun?"

"No!"

"No!"

"A little," Izana admitted.

"Well, we can just keep doing this until I get bored and Lady Hinoka decides to- Oh dear!" Azama quickly leapt from his chair in time to avoid a fireball. He gulped at the sight of Corrin running toward him, preparing another spell from her tome.

"Thunder!"

"Ack!"

Azama ducked down, dropping his Freeze as he did so. Corrin got close enough and picked the staff up for herself. She broke it over her knee, while Azura sang for the Great Master's prisoners.

"Oh now you sing for me!" Anna joked. Azura was not having it, though.

"Anna, you have to shoot down Princess Hinoka's Pegasus right now and take her out of the fight before Camilla slaughters her!"

"…Wow, you really don't have any faith in Hinoka?" Anna asked.

"ANNA!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go!"

While Flora and Izana captured Azama, Corrin and Azura followed Anna back to the ground below the duel. Anna took aim and fired right at one of the Pegasus' wings.

"Neeeeeigh!"

"Whoa, boy! Gaaaah!" Hinoka and her horse plummeted from the air, and Camilla watched.

"I could have done it myself, you know."

The horse crashed into some shrubbery nearby, while the princess herself landed on the ground, dropping her weapon. "Aaaah… no…" She winced and weakly looked up at the two former sisters standing over her. "Just… kill me already… don't draw it out. And don't… kill my soldiers."

"Wait, what?" Azama's voice caught everyone's attention. His hands were tied with rope while Izana and Flora pushed him along. "Lady Hinoka, you're a Princess of Hoshido! You can't just die like that!" He paused. "Well, you can, but you shouldn't!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't do that, Lady Hinoka," Setsuna said. Everyone, now including Azama and his captors, looked over to find Laslow leading a tied-up Setsuna.

"…What? I can't rescue a lovely lady from a pitfall?"

"Guys… you can't…" Hinoka strained herself to say. "Kamui… just kill me already and… spare them…"

Corrin and Azura both looked at each other and nodded. Corrin pulled out her tome once more and charged up a spell. "Okay… I can't let an enemy commander escape. I have to do this… Hya!" Corrin fired a lightning bolt from her hand… at a nearby tree.

"Hey, you missed pal," Izana told her.

"No I didn't," Corrin lied. "She's dead." Corrin quickly picked up Hinoka's weapon and took it for herself. "Hinoka's dead. You saw it, we all saw it-"

"And I saw it," Camilla added, finally landing Marzia. "Corrin… Okay."

"…Thank you, Camilla." Corrin smiled briefly before helping Azura in getting Hinoka off the ground. Azama and Setsuna were freed in short order, and given Hinoka. "Hinoka, take your servants and go hide."

"I'm hiding… while you tear down Hoshido… and Ryoma?"

"We're not going to kill Ryoma," Azura told her. "Hinoka, it's a long story. But if things go as planned, the royal family will be alive to help Hoshido recover."

Setsuna tilted her head. "I don't get it."

"She's saying we're off the hook as long as we can find a safe hiding spot," Azama told her.

"Oh. Cool."

"If you care about Hoshido… then why…" Hinoka started, but was running out of energy. Corrin frowned.

"After Mother… died, I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't want revenge, I wanted peace. And I know that Nohr isn't my birthright, but they still raised me!" She sadly broke eye contact. "But then things went wrong. And it all became a mess. Now I'm just trying to end this war as quickly as possible." Corrin sighed. "But that doesn't mean it was okay to hurt you, Hinoka. I'm sorry. I won't ask you to forgive me, but I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Azura said. "I thought Kamui could achieve peace. But I think... I was also a little scared of Hoshido when I joined her. I'm sorry I let that get in the way."

At that, the Hoshidan princess found it in herself to grin. "You're both... still the same people... after all this time. But why can't I just… help you? We can-"

"Dear, your determination is adorable, but you're in no condition to fight. And it was hard enough sparing the littler princess."

"Littler… What happened to-"

"It's fine, Sakura's being held prisoner," Azura quickly stated. "We're not really sure what happened to Takumi. He jumped off the Great Wall, but there was no body at the bottom. So he's probably around."

"So go into hiding already before Father notices," Camilla threatened.

"Fine… I'll go… but you'd better not… hurt Ryoma… and if I find out… you're lying… about Sakura and Takumi…"

Corrin nodded. "You have my word, Hinoka. Violence will be my last resort with Ryoma."

"…Thank you."

Chapter Text

"Augh! This castle's a huge maze!" Corrin complained.

Azura nodded. "I remember that you kept getting lost, back when we still stayed here." She winced. "But Ryoma was easy to find, he sticks out like a sore thumb. So where is he? Perhaps… the antechamber to the throne room?"

"I… think I recognize that…"

"Mmmmmiladies!" Iago casually strolled up to the princesses, inciting sighs. "You should have seen King Garon fighting back there! Oh it was a mmmmmmassacre! He swung that Bolverk of his like a toy axe!" He paused. "Wait, do they mmmake toy axes?"

Corrin was not in the mood. "What do you want now?!"

"What, I cannot speak to my favorite heir? Lady Corrin, I'm wounded." Iago put a hand over his nonexistent heart and Azura shook her head.

"You don't even like her," Azura said.

"Oh fine. Status report. Now!"

Corrin stiffened her back and cleared her throat. "Well, we made it through the courtyard with minor, temporary problems. Then," Corrin briefly averted eye contact, "we killed Princess Hinoka."

"You looked away as you said that," Iago goaded.

"I… thought I saw something. Uh, here!" Corrin presented Hinoka's naginata. Azura made a note to ask Corrin where she had been keeping that. "This is her weapon, we looted her corpse."

"Pffft! Weapon? Where's her head?"

The already pale princess blanched. "What? Ew! I can't just cut people's heads off and carry them around with me!"

"Well not with that attitude," Iago muttered. "But mmmmore importantly, I'm suspicious of you!"

"You're always suspicious of me! How is this any different?!"

"IAGO!" Garon's southern drawl caught everyone's attention. "Enough hasslin' Corrin! She's already proven herself. Go bother Azura, she hasn't proven herself yet." Azura glared. "So anyway, we gotta be gettin' close now, right?"

"Yes, Your Mmmmmajesty. We should be near the throne room."

Garon and Iago had joined the party, to everyone's disdain. Garon looked over at Anna. "An' who're you again?"

"Hi I'm Anna. I invented the Shamwowzer with my good friend Charlotte!" Anna offered her hand.

"The Shamwowzer?! I don't know how I ever got along without one!" The king turned over to Xander. "Xander! Marry this woman! We need her secrets!"

Xander blinked. "Right now?"

"Ugh! Fine, we can wait until after the war! Dang kids an' their commitment issues…"

Iago smirked. "Oh looky, there's Ryoma now."

Corrin gasped. In the distance, Ryoma sat on his knees in the antechamber. His eyes opened, sensing the Nohrians. "So here you are… Make no mistake, you've yet to see Hoshido's true strength!" He rose and drew Raijinto, swinging it and intensifying the nearby torches. "No more games! To the death!"

Ryoma was ready to fight, and several Nohrians believed he might actually be able to take them all on. He glared at them all. "So… either you're all masterful infiltrators, or the Hoshidan army has fallen," Ryoma summarized. Then Iago had an idea.

"Why… yes!" Iago stepped forward. "Your army has been crushed. Poor little Sakura is probably bawling her eyes out in prison as we speak. Prince Takumi was so ashamed, he jumped right off the Great Wall! Oh, and get this, Princess Hinoka's dead too!" Iago's grin widened. "But the best part- the best part! Want to know who killed her?"

Corrin's eyes widened. Oh no…

"It was your precious little Kamui who did it! How's that? That do anything for ya?" Iago asked. "Just look at this trophy. It's no severed head, but…" Iago firmly planted Hinoka's naginata into the ground.

Ryoma gasped. He said nothing as his eyes met Corrin's. She saw the chaos running in Ryoma's mind. I can't tell him the truth, not in front of Father and Iago. Curse it all! Corrin gulped. "Y-yes. I… killed her."

"…"

"Ryoma?"

"RAAAAAAAH!" Ryoma dashed forward and began striking Corrin with Raijinto. He got the first hit, but Corrin managed to block the subsequent strikes with Grim Yato. "How dare you?! She was your sister! Our sister! Hinoka cherished you!" He went for a kick, and it connected, though Corrin stayed on her feet. "And Takumi! You drove him to his own end?!"

Corrin could say nothing. Azura watched in fear. When Ryoma finally ceased, he looked away. "Saizo! Kagero! You know what to do!" He looked back at his enemy. "Kamui- no. Corrin, I challenge you to a duel! You have no choice!"

From where he stood, Kaze winced. "Oh no, Saizo's here… Of course he is."

Suddenly, walls lowered, blocking access to the room containing Ryoma… and Corrin. Camilla gasped. "Oh gods! Hang on Corrin, I'll get you out of there!"

"Not if I do it first!" Jakob argued.

"NO!" Garon yelled. "None o' y'all gets to save her! She's a grown woman! If Corrin can't win her duel with that hippy, then I don't even want her!"

Iago shook his fists excitedly. "C'mon Ryoma… C'mon Ryoma!" Xander growled and punched Iago's shoulder. "Ow!"

Azura approached Camilla. "Hey, there are switches nearby. If we can find them, we can open the doors."

"Ooh! I like the sound of that!"

"What? No! Nobody's allowed to save Lady Corrin!" Iago said. "Isn't that right, King Garon?"

"Zzzz…"

Iago sighed as most of Corrin's troops split up to find the switches. All of them but Silas, who was hacking at the wall with his sword. "Don't worry, buddy! I'll get you outta there!"

Jakob gasped. "That is my job! Move over!"

As the butler started doing the same thing with his dagger, Gunter watched. "Jakob, Silas… work faster! Corrin's life depends on it!"

Corrin and Ryoma stood all alone in the central chamber. Nothing would get in the way of this duel, but Corrin had to try.

"Ryoma, listen-"

"I'm done listening to you!" Ryoma spat. "Looking back, it was obvious. You never felt like you belonged here... Mother's death had to be avenged, and you didn't want it..."

"I wanted peace!"

The samurai glared at her. "Well look around you, Corrin. Does this look like peace to you? When most of my family has fallen? When my countrymen are bleeding and grieving? When Mother must watch her children fight one another?!"

"Rrr! You think it's that easy?!" Corrin stood her ground. "I don't know what they did to my memories in Nohr! And I'm sorry I didn't get to grow up with you! And I'm sorry for what Garon did to Mother and Father! But you think I can just turn my back on Xander and Camilla and everyone else? On Gunter, the knight who raised me and was more of a father than even Garon? All because I reunited with my birth family for a mere two weeks?!"

"…I suppose there's no purpose in hiding it," Ryoma told himself. "In fact, it puts everything into new perspective. But Corrin… King Sumeragi wasn't your father. Queen Mikoto met him one day, when Hinoka and I were still young. She had already birthed you."

"…What?!"

"It's true. Not even Hinoka knew. But Father asked me never to tell you. Because he didn't want you to feel that he loved you any less."

Corrin stepped back. "S-so… That's right, Mother never told me where she came from… So… What does that mean? You kept pressuring me to see things your way because you're my brother by blood! But that's not even true! You lied to me!"

"Because we loved you! Just like we loved Azura! We were going to live as a family!" Ryoma took a breath. "But it appears our love wasn't enough for either of you. Not when you killed Takumi and Hinoka! Was Mother not enough?!"

Corrin gasped. "You… you blame me for Mother?!"

"Not at first," Ryoma answered. "But the more I dwelt on it… the more Takumi spoke of it… the more I heard of a white-haired Nohrian princess successfully raiding Hoshidan villages and landmarks… I just couldn't put the thought away."

She nearly choked. "I would never do that! How dare you!"

Ryoma did not let up. "It doesn't matter what you say. Because even if you were innocent of killing Mother, you still have Hinoka and Takumi to answer for!"

"Ryoma, listen to me! Hinoka's alive! It was a trick! King Garon isn't who he says he is! And something was going on with Takumi, he could still be alive!"

The older sibling let out a sigh. "…I don't believe you. Not anymore. I wanted my stepsister back very much. Sure she wasn't my sister by blood, but she was part of my family! However, she died sixteen years ago, and a devil has taken her place!" Ryoma once again charged toward Corrin, but this time she was ready, and blocked immediately. "If you have any shred of honor, you'll allow me to finish you! I might even make it quick!"

Ryoma…!

The search party in the left hall busted into a room containing a lever on the wall. Elise gasped. "The lever! Hang on, Big Sister!"

Then Saizo appeared in the room's center. "Time to work…"

Izana waved his hand. "Big deal! There are more of us than you!"

Several ninja dropped from the ceiling and hurled weapons at the Nohrians. Leo thought quickly and created a wall of tree roots with Brynhildr, to block the attacks. With a wave of his hand, the roots all launched the caught shuriken back toward the attackers.

"Everyone! Attack!" Leo commanded.

Leo, Elise and Izana grouped together and hit most of the ninja with a large spell. This freed Felicia and Laslow to run in and take on the stragglers directly. And of course, one certain invader found himself face to face with Saizo.

"Suzukaze…"

"Saizo…"

Saizo nodded. "You remembered what I said back in Mokushu. That's good. You're a traitor, but I'll make your death quick."

"Saizo, there's more to this than-"

"All is for Lord Ryoma. You know my task."

Kaze sighed. "Yes. It's the same with Lady Corrin and myself."

"Then we have nothing to talk about."

As Camilla and Xander led their search party through the right-side corridors, Camilla spoke. "Can you believe that Father approves of this duel?"

"Corrin is strong," Xander told his sister. "But all the same, Prince Ryoma is said to be the greatest fighter in all of Hoshido. Father must see it as an opportunity to prove Nohr's strength. If one of King Garon's children can best Ryoma, that sends a message to all of Hoshido."

Camilla rolled her eyes. "I don't think I can take much more of this behavior."

Xander glared. "Watch your language. I understand what you're saying, but it can be viewed as treason."

"No, I think she's on to something," Azura said, catching up to them. "Don't you think it's a little odd how drastically Garon changed after Mother died? I don't know the pain of losing two wives, but this is excessive."

Xander decided to focus on what was ahead of him. "I must do what is best for Nohr. Then, with any luck, Father might be happy again."

Then Flora and Arthur caught up. "Lord Xander, I know a thing or two about wanting a father's approval," Flora started. "But haven't you even given it a little thought?"

"Enough!"

Xander and his horse broke through the door and made it to the other switch room. Kagero stood in wait. "Greetings, Nohrians. And goodbye."

With one motion, Kagero nearly covered Xander in shuriken, had he not moved his horse out of the way in time. With Xander out of the way, Camilla's wyvern flew into the room and sprayed fire everywhere. "Hahaha! Fewer places to hide!"

Kagero tried to evade the flames, but they consumed more and more space. She eventually found a good place to stand, but Arthur blindsided her, tackling her to the ground. Though when Arthur hit the floor, he found that Kagero was replaced by a wooden log.

"Hm? Wow! Ninja actually do use the log trick! I thought that was just a cliché!"

The Master Ninja reappeared beside Arthur, ready to strike him down with a katana, when a blast from Siegfried knocked her over. Arthur stood up in time to notice that the log he held was now catching fire.

"Oh! Oh gods! Fire!"

Suddenly, a blast of cold wind hit Arthur and the log, courtesy of Flora. She had made it to Arthur's position and began putting out the flames. "Enemies or not, this castle won't burn!"

Meanwhile, Xander raced across the burning chamber and pulled the lever.

Felicia and Laslow had a fairly easy time dealing with all their fights. Enough that Felicia caught Kaze and Saizo's duel. "Oh no! I'll help you, Kaze!"

"Felicia, wait!" Laslow stopped her. "This is something Kaze needs to do on his own."

The maid merely stared at him. "…Are you insane?! What if Kaze dies because we didn't help him?! Hang on, Kaze!" Felicia ran in, already preparing a dagger. Laslow prepared to go after her, but another Master Ninja challenged him.

The red ninja sensed Felicia and disappeared, leaving her right in front of Kaze. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

Kaze gasped. "Felicia!" Immediately, Kaze shoved Felicia out of the way, in time to receive a sneak attack from Saizo. "Aaaah! My arm! Gah, should've seen that coming…"

Felicia turned to face Saizo. "You jerk! Kaze is your brother! Doesn't that mean anything to you?! He's the only sibling you have! He's your family!"

Kaze shook his head and began to whisper. "Felicia, go find the lever. Help Lady Corrin. Leave Saizo to me."

"But Kaze-!"

"Felicia, Saizo and I both knew it would come to this eventually."

Felicia frowned. "Oh… oh all right! But I'm coming right back afterward!"

"Not if I kill you right away, Nohrian!" Saizo hurled a shuriken at Felicia, but the maid effortlessly dodged it. She made a break for the switch, leaving the brothers to fight. Saizo sighed. "I'll regret this in the next life, Suzukaze."

Immediately, Saizo removed his vest, revealing explosives tied to his torso. "RRRRRRAAAAAAA!"

Kaze gasped. Felicia overheard the screaming and turned around. Without a second thought, she approached Saizo and swung her arms in an uncrossing motion, coating the ninja in ice before he could detonate. "NOOOOOO!"

"Th-thank you… Felicia…"

Felicia did not seem happy, though. "Yeah… no problem… I'll come to heal you after I hit the switch…"

Thus Kaze was alone with his frozen brother. "Saizo… I'm sorry."

Ryoma's attacks were merciless and powerful. And while Corrin considered herself a capable fighter, Ryoma was leagues above her. It would only be a matter of time before she lost. I have to think of a plan! Okay, how did I beat Xander in training? …I surprised him! Is there a way I can surprise Ryoma? Corrin gasped. There is! But I need space. Look for an opening…

Ryoma prepared an overhead swing, and Corrin saw her chance. She ducked and rolled past Ryoma, putting herself behind the prince. Without a moment to lose, Corrin grabbed her Dragonstone and transformed. "RRRRAAAAAAH!"

"That won't be enough! I've slain plenty of Nohrian wyverns! HYA!" Ryoma took a swing at Corrin, successfully. The dragon fought the urge to flinch, and jumped a few paces backward. Then out of nowhere, Ryoma shuddered. "Aah! What… is this? I feel… weaker… A Dragon's Vein?!" Not hearing this, Corrin charged and unleashed her Torrential Roar unto Ryoma.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHH! Aaaaaah! G'aaaah!" Ryoma fell to his knees, burnt and giving off smoke.

Corrin gasped and reverted back to her human form. "Oh no…! The water and the sparks…"

"Corrin, are you okay?" Azura called.

Corrin looked over to find her friend standing on a Dragon's Vein. Then, Silas, Jakob and Gunter all barged in from the opposite side. "Milady! Do you need assistance?"

"Whoa!" Silas was the first to get a glimpse of Ryoma. "You did that to him, Corrin?!"

"I… I didn't mean to!" Corrin cried. "I panicked and used one of my dragon techniques, and… well…"

Gunter rode his horse closer to Corrin. "It's okay, milady. He's still alive. I've seen enough combat to know when a soldier is finished."

Almost in response to Gunter, Ryoma coughed. Corrin, Azura, Gunter, Jakob and Silas all came closer. "So… it ends like this…" Ryoma said weakly. "Hoshido… falls…" He coughed again. "Mother… Hinoka… Takumi… Sa-" he coughed, "-kura… Forgive me…"

Corrin got on her knees before Ryoma. She shot a glance at Jakob, and the butler understood. He began holding a Mend staff over the prince. "Ryoma, please, please listen! Hinoka is alive! I… I really meant what I said, about loving my Nohrian family and not wanting revenge." She frowned. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about you too."

Ryoma felt a little bit of his strength return, but only a little. The butler could only heal so much, and Ryoma knew it. "Life isn't so simple… Kamui. You can't have… everything you want…"

The Nohrian princess remorsefully looked away. "…You're right. But please know that I didn't kill Hinoka. She really is still alive."

Azura nodded. "It was a bluff. We need King Garon and his tactician to trust us, so we told him we killed Hinoka. But Corrin and I saw to it that she found a safe place to hide. And Takumi…" Azura looked away. "We're not sure what happened to him. He did jump, but we never found his body."

The defeated samurai took a moment to consider this. "I see… Thank you for telling me this… And… I apologize… for keeping secrets, Ka- …Corrin. But know… we truly missed you…"

If Corrin did not have so much to deal with, she would have liked to learn what else Ryoma knew about her. But that had to wait. "I understand, Ryoma. You did what you thought was best… That's all any of us can do, isn't it?"

Ryoma's breathing was beginning to even out. "So… what are you going to do to me?"

"Milady and Lady Azura have put together a plan," Jakob explained. "They wish to out King Garon as an impostor, for the true King Garon had disappeared long ago. If we were to allow him to be seated on your queen's throne, the truth would be revealed. Then this pointless war can come to an end."

"I know it's a longshot, but it's the only chance we have," Corrin told him. "Nohr isn't evil, Ryoma. But that fake Garon is! If we can get rid of him, we can move forward! We just need to find a place to hide you until then!"

"…"

"Ryoma?" Corrin grew worried.

"So ya done did it!" Garon bellowed. Everyone but Ryoma gasped. Jakob quickly tossed the Mend staff aside. "And ya did it all on yer lonesome, Corrin! Hot diggity! Yer a real Nohrian in my book, now!"

"She had some help, though," Iago said. "Everyone ran off to find the swi-"

"Don't matter! She still fought him by herself, didn't she?"

Corrin gulped. "I… Yes."

Xander then made it to the duelists' chamber. "Corrin, are you- Oh. The fight is already over…"

"Watch this, Xander! Corrin's gonna execute Prince Ryoma!" Garon announced. "And unlike you, she won't screw it up!"

"What?!" Corrin turned to Garon. "Uh, can't he just succumb to his wounds? That's more your style! Slow and agonizing?"

"Hmm…" Garon actually considered this. "Temptin', real temptin'. But nah, just get it over with."

Silas scratched his head. "Uh, don't you feel tired, Your Majesty? Why not go take a nap on the queen's throne? We'll tell you how it went later! Uh, Iago wanna help him over to the throne room?"

"I just took a danged nap!"

Azura took a shot. "Okay, but how about Corrin kills him after you take a seat? Er, yes. The last thing Ryoma will see is his enemy sitting on his mother's throne. Come on, you know you want that."

"Fer cryin' out loud!" Garon stomped his foot. "Corrin, if I don't have a dead samurai in the next minute, yer gettin' executed instead!"

"N-no!" Ryoma shouted. Everyone looked over. "Nohrian devils… You won't get the satisfaction!" He looked to Corrin and Azura, then winked. Corrin felt a chill.

What's he saying? Why did he wink? He's not going to fight, is he? He couldn't…

"I am a samurai. There is only one way…" Ryoma announced. He picked Raijinto up off the floor. "Kamui, Azura… Do the right thing. And … apologize to our siblings for me… HYAAAAAA!" In a single motion, Ryoma plunged Raijinto into his own stomach. "GAAAAAH!"

"Ryoma!"

Azura gasped.

"Rrrrrr…! Good… good luck… Aaah!"

With one last motion of the sword, Ryoma fell. He had completed a samurai's last task. Corrin was stunned. Azura could not even form words. Silas and Jakob did not dare speak.

"Defiant to the end," Iago mused. "King Garon, that wasn't an execution."

"But he's dead, and that's all I really wanted. Let's go find Hans n' spread the word. Xander! With me!"

"Yes, Father…" As Xander left, he spared one last look at Prince Ryoma, as well as Corrin and Azura.

Gunter cleared his throat. "Corrin, Lady Azura… I know how this must feel. If there's anything I could say or do-"

"He wasn't my brother," Corrin said. "He told me during our duel. At least not by blood. But Ryoma thought of me as his sister… Enough to… to die for me… But why?! I didn't want this!"

"He said that?" Jakob asked. "Then, what does this mean?"

"Ryoma and King Sumeragi both… they both died for me. I can't see them as anything less than family after that." Corrin turned to Azura and noticed tears in her eyes. "He said the same about you, Azura."

Azura shut her eyes. "I wish I had appreciated him more…"

"No matter what happens… we can't be a family again. Not without all of us there…"

Jakob cleared his throat. "Milady, don't speak that way. We are almost finished with our mission. If we stop now, it will all be in vain."

"He's right," Gunter added. "Corrin, Azura, there will be time for this later. I'll even help you break the news to Princess Hinoka. But now is not the time."

Silas nodded. "Yeah. We've made it this far, right?"

"…You're right," Azura said. "But… I just need a moment."

"M-me too…"

Gunter readied his horse. "I understand. Jakob, Silas, help me find the others."

Just like that, they were left alone.

Corrin…

Azura…

…and the fallen prince Ryoma.

Chapter Text

"It's about danged time!" Garon announced. "Them brats are all outta the picture! Hoshido's mine now, boys n' girls! Yeehaw!"

"W-we're happy for you, Father…" Elise shyly told him.

"Hoo doggies how I've been waitin' for this!" He darkly chuckled. "Decades upon decades…"

"Wow. How old are you anyway?" Leo asked.

"Boy I'd whip you for that, but I'm too dang giddy to care right now! I gots me a throne to sit on!" Garon barged into the throne room.

Xander attempted to follow him. "Yes. Now that this war is over, we will watch-"

"Nope! You can't come in, Xander! I… need a moment to m'self, first. Gotta talk to Anankos." With that, Garon slammed the door on his children. Until- "Dang cat, get outta here!"

"MEOW!"

Garon briefly opened the door and threw out Kamui the cat. She scurried down the hall. After a moment, Camilla folded her arms. "Hmph. How rude."

Xander repeated Camilla's action, but behind his back. "So… I've been meaning to tell all of you. I'm considering making Kaze my retainer."

Corrin looked over. "Wait, isn't he my retainer?"

"You already have four retainers, Little Princess. Not to mention how Silas orbits around you," Xander said. "Besides, Kaze is my… freund, as the Hoshidans say."

Azura put a finger to her chin. "Does Flora count as Corrin's retainer anymore? Now that they're together that'd be kind of-"

"We're not… together!" Corrin blurted out. "We're just… I mean, with the war… Though I guess it's over now, isn't it?" She looked to the side. "Hmm… WHOA!" Corrin jumped backward, avoiding a fireball. Everyone turned to find none other than-

"Iago!" Xander exclaimed. "What was the meaning of that?!"

Everyone's least favorite mage growled. "Corrin. You… naïve… optimistic-"

"I'm not even sure how true those adjectives are anymore, to be honest," Corrin interrupted.

"Whatever! I've put up with your shenanigans for far too long! You don't kill anyone when you're supposed to! You don't die when you're supposed to! So you know what? Forget King Garon! I'm going to mmmmmurder you, Corrin! And I don't care who knows it!"

Camilla glared. "So you thought that your best course of action would be to try to kill our Corrin… right in front of all her brothers and sisters? Her armed and trained brothers and sisters who all care for her?"

"Ngyuhuhuhuhuhuh! Oh but I believe you won't take her side for long!" Iago struck a pose. "For I've discovered the truth! Corrin has taken you all on a ruse cruise! Princess Hinoka is still alive! Corrin is a traitor and a scoundrel!"

Everyone but Xander winced.

"What?" the crown prince shook his head. "And do you have any evidence? Or is this one of your infamous hunches?"

Iago blinked. "…I don't have to answer that."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Be honest, you just want to kill Corrin. We all know you do. Even Corrin knows it. But you've run out of reasons, so you're just running up to her and attacking."

"He's right. Isn't he, Iago?" Corrin asked.

"I… don't have to answer that either! FACELESS!" Iago threw his hand down and teleported away. In his wake, the sorcerer left behind a small team of Faceless.

"Okay that's it!" Xander declared. "I've about had it with Iago. But… it's against the rules! Gods. What a pickle… Hm, I could go for a pickle right now, actually."

Elise looked over at Xander. "He tried to kill Corrin for no reason! He's a traitor!"

Leo nodded. "That's right. And the punishment for treason is death."

"Hm. You make excellent points. Come on, gang, let's go find Iago! We'll explain the situation to Father afterward, I'm sure he'll understand."

Corrin, Xander, Elise, Azura, Silas, Kaze, Flora and Anna took one route through the castle's rooms to reach Iago, but they found themselves attacked by Faceless along the way. Elise, Silas and Kaze all went ahead, with Azura going for support. This left Corrin with an opportunity to speak to Flora.

"Flora, I was thinking. We've been busy with the war, but what about after? Do you want to go back to the tribe?"

The maid said nothing at first. "Well, I'd like to. But I'd like to stay with you and Gunter and the rest, too. I was wondering about it myself."

"I mean… If we wanted to… be something, we'd probably have to figure it out," Corrin said. "What would your father think?"

"I don't really know." Flora gave a shrug. "But he allowed me to travel with you, so there's that at least. I don't want to keep you away from your siblings, not after how long you've been away from them."

"What? But then I'd just keep you and Felicia away from the tribe, it wouldn't be any different!"

A sigh. "Corrin, can we think about this after we're done here?"

Corrin nodded. "You're right. I was just wondering. But speaking of the war…" The princess walked further ahead to meet her brother. "Xander, I have to ask you something. Remember how Hans was a criminal?"

"Ah yes," Xander said. "Unlicensed embezzle-clogging. Why?"

"Well, how did Father meet Iago?"

"Oh. You know, none of us know. He's just sort of been there as long as we've remembered."

"What?"

"Yes. Camilla once proposed that they simply built Castle Krakenburg around Iago and he never bothered to leave," Xander said with a small laugh.

Flora turned toward Anna. "You seem to know everything. What's Iago's story?"

Anna grimaced. "What? How should I know? I don't like to spend more time thinking about him than I need to! I got nothing. But knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with everything going wrong in the castle. But that's just my theory."

"You mean your hypothesis," Flora corrected.

"Don't you talk to me about grammar!"

Corrin and Xander overheard the conversation, and turned back to one another. "Does that sound accurate?"

"I don't know. But… he's just so despicable, I wouldn't put it past him." Xander looked toward the ceiling. "He's the sort of man who's easy to blame."

"HEX! FREEZE! ENFEEBLE!" Iago's voice echoed, and more than one cloud of fog appeared around Anna.

"Gaah! What… gives?! This guy… shouldn't be able to use staves!" Anna choked.

Flora gasped and immediately began tending to Anna. Corrin looked over to Xander. "We have to hurry."

"You're right."

In the other half of the castle, Camilla, Leo, Gunter, Laslow, Jakob, Felicia, Arthur and Izana faced a group of Sorcerers, Iago's own trained henchmen. Gunter and Camilla barreled through the mages as though they were made of paper, with Leo, Arthur and Jakob following them most closely.

"So Corrin's told you too, huh?" Leo asked his sister.

Camilla nodded as she fired a spell from her tome. "That's right. I guess that does explain a lot, doesn't it?"

"It does. We'll have to be very careful going forward."

"We will," the princess concurred. "I mean… chopsticks? Truly? How do these primitive people eat?!"

"We probably won't even stay here long enough to get accustomed to them, once we get rid of that thing replacing Father." His eyes widened. "Uh, wait I didn't say that. I meant… uh…"

Camilla smiled. "It's okay, Leo, I know what you're talking about. And you're right."

Further back, Izana flung spells all over, wiping out various Nohrian mages. "Heeheehee! You guys are rookies!"

Laslow found himself dancing to avoid fireballs, frost shards and lightning bolts all being hurled at him, and taking down a few mages along the way. "Well then, I must remember to thank Mother for those dancing lessons." Felicia followed shortly after Laslow. With her natural fighting talent, Felicia expertly dodged all the spells and took out any wizard she crossed. She did it all, and she did it faster than Laslow. The man whistled. "Felicia, that was extraordinary!"

"Aw, it wasn't anything…"

"Your moves! Your finesse! I… I think I'm in love!"

Felicia giggled and walked past Laslow. "I'm sure you are."

"B-but I…"

Izana watched the whole exchanged. "Ha! Owned!" Then he was hit by a one of Iago's stragglers. "Oww!"

Laslow nodded. "Thank you."

Silas and Kaze teamed up to beat a Faceless, and their combined strength made for an easy task. "Phew! Hard work. Kaze, can't you tell us any secret passages or something?"

"Hmm. Now that I think of it, I believe there's-"

"SILENCE! FREEZE! ENFEEBLE! HEX!" Iago called from his position, inflicting Kaze with multiple ailments at once. "Ngyahahaha!"

Silas got off his horse and fell to his knees. "Nooooooo! Now we have to do it the hard way!"

The ground shook, and suddenly a Stoneborn emerged from the ground. "I AM THE STONEBORN. YOU ALL MUST DIE."

"Oh my gods! A talking rock!" Silas exclaimed. Kaze tried to warn Silas to avoid it, but he could not move nor speak, and felt rather drained. The Stoneborn removed its faceplate and began to charge a shot. "A rock, and it's sentient. There's so much we can learn from this!" If Kaze could at least move his face, he would roll his eyes. "Tell me your secrets, talking rock!"

Elise and Azura burst into the room, the two princesses riding on Elise's horse. Azura sang a song, fixing Kaze's statuses and allowing him to tackle Silas out of the way before the Stoneborn fired at him. Elise smirked. "You're going down, giant talking rock! HA!" She fired lightning from her hands, via the tome, and destroyed the golem. "Not bad! Not bad."

Azura nodded. "That was impressive, Elise."

"Yeah! I'm so strong now! I bet I could even take on Xander if we had to fight!"

"GUNTER?"

"Hans…"

Gunter, Camilla, Arthur and Jakob had made it to a large room with only Hans waiting for them. "HANS GETS TO KILL GUNTER AGAIN!"

"You had me by surprise, and we were over the Bottomless Canyon. You got lucky!"

"So we meet at last, Hans," Jakob greeted. "Ever since Lady Corrin told me about you, I'd been thinking of ways to get even. Not that I told her anything…"

"Jakob, don't keep secrets from your liege!" Gunter scolded.

"You have some nerve, old man! And here I was talking about how I'd avenge you!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "And then there's your unjust behavior back in Cheve! And don't think I've forgotten about your crime sprees! None of which you've even apologized for!"

Camilla chuckled. "Well Hans, it looks like you're rather unpopular. But being the only princess here at the moment, I'll let you go on one condition."

"Aww!" Gunter, Jakob and Arthur moaned at once.

"Let us get to Iago, and don't tell Father, or we kill you." She smiled. "Simple!"

Hans copied Camilla's smile with a wicked grin. "NOT IF HANS KILL YOU FIRST!" He craned his neck to the wall behind himself. "IAGO! HELP HANS!"

"I'm busy!"

"Grrr…." While Hans was distracted, Gunter took the chance and tried to run through him with his lance. Hans barely dodged, then brought out his axe. "TAKE THIS!" Hans prepared to swing, and Gunter almost dodged, when Jakob took advantage of the situation. He threw a dagger at the general's chest. "AAAAAH!"

"This is why you should have worn proper armor!" Jakob scolded. Hans glared at him and prepared to attack, but Gunter struck him with the lance. It would continue like this for a few minutes; Jakob would attack, then Gunter would. Every so often, Camilla would conjure a fireball from her tome and hurl it at Hans. "I'd say you should give up now, Hans. You're severely outnumbered."

Camilla chuckled ominously. "Oh no. We already gave him his chance."

"Uh, yes… But a Hero is always willing to allow-" Arthur's counterpoint was cut short as Camilla pulled out a tomahawk and threw it at Hans. "Or not."

"AAAAAAAH! …Curse… you… royals…" Hans fell to the floor, with the tomahawk stuck in him. Gunter glared.

"Hmph. I wanted to be the one…"

"FREEZE! HEX! ENFEEBLE!"

Jakob snapped his fingers under his metal glove. "Oh, blast."

The four were all struck with Iago's spells, just as Kaze led Xander, Corrin, Flora, Anna and Azura into the room. Anna observed Hans' corpse.

"Huh, so that's how he goes out in this path. A little anticlimactic compared to… Well, whatever."

"RRRAAAH!" The sounds of angry Faceless were audible as a few more arrived from the stairway leading into the room. Kaze and Anna went to take them out, while Azura went to sing for the others. Corrin, Flora and Xander all broke through the final door, leading to Iago's room.

"Aaah! C-Corrin! Xander! How'd you reach me?!"

"This is it, Iago!" Corrin readied her sword. "I don't know why you're so obsessed with killing me, but you've run out of excuses!"

"Attacking a prince or princess of Nohr is treason," Xander stated. "And you, of all people, should know the penalty for treason in Nohr."

"Y-you don't scare me!" Iago bluffed. "I… I'm His Mmmmajesty's favorite!"

"And I'm his firstborn son!" countered Xander.

"What difference does that mmmmmake?" Then Iago had an idea. "Heh. I see what this is about. Oh, you can't hide it, Lord Xander! You're jealous!"

Xander blinked. "What?"

"Aw, poor little Xander, he cannot get the affection from his father that he so desperately craves. Mmmmeanwhile, his father's right hand mmman has swooped in and become his favorite. So you try to kill me, just so you can be in your father's favor again! After all, participating in this pointless conquest hadn't done the trick like you'd hoped, has it?"

"Uh, no. You're heartless and a traitor, that's all."

"Pointless?!" Corrin repeated. "So you admit it!"

Iago turned to her. "Foolish Hoshidan. Of course this was pointless! As though ransacking Hoshido would solve our problems! But it's what King Garon wants, and I never even liked the Hoshidans! So Garon tells me to destroy, and I destroy! And that's how I like it!"

"You… You're the one who pushed King Garon over the edge, aren't you?!" Flora accused.

Xander and Corrin gasped. Iago merely laughed. "Oh, if only! No, I'm afraid I had nothing to do with that. But enough talk. I'm going to mmmmurder all of you! But first, I have something I'd like to tell Corrin. A few things!"

Corrin glared. "…What."

"Remember that Kitsune village? Guess who it was who slew their leader!"

Corrin and Flora gasped, with the maid muttering, "I knew it…"

"And that's not all! I was the one who alerted the Hoshidans to your arrival in Mmmmmacarath! Had to spread Terminal 7 to Elise while my projection visited Notre Sagesse, so you would even go, and it almost worked! But you, that blasted child and Prince Ryoma all survived! Also I was the one who suggested you dueled Ryoma! Garon loved the idea, after I told him about the glory it'd bring!"

Xander's grip on Siegfried tightened.

"And, oh, you'll love this!" Iago laughed to himself. "Want to know who sent those Faceless to the Eternal Stairway and got Lilith killed? I'll give you a hint- you're talking to him!"

Corrin, Xander and Flora merely stood there, absorbing Iago's extended confession. At last, it was Corrin who broke the silence. "So let me see if I understand." She glared at him as she spoke. "You conspired with the enemy in order to have one of your princesses killed, and potentially losing other, able-bodied Nohrians as collateral. You forced me into a duel with Ryoma for no other reason than to watch me squirm. Not because of glory or combat, no you just wanted me to suffer. You destroyed all the trust the Kitsune had for Nohrians, which led to us having to put them down. You had Lilith killed by one of your monsters, monsters that were sent to, once again, kill me and your countrymen- no- human beings! And in order to lure us into one of these traps, you inflicted Elise with a nearly fatal virus!" She took a deep breath. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Iago," she started, "you're going to die."

Iago chuckled. He floated into the air and changed the scenery. Before anyone knew it, they were back in the Woods of the Forlorn. Iago vanished and then reappeared over a pool of toxic sludge. "Take this!"

He fired wind spells from his Excalibur tome, all aimed at Corrin and Xander. They dodged easily, but the princess was distracted.

"Wait, where'd Flora go? Where'd we go?!"

Xander focused on avoiding more Excalibur blasts. "Probably one of his illusions." He rode Sieghorse along the perimeter of the toxic pond. When the prince had an opening, he swung Siegfried and struck Iago with a beam dead on.

"OOOH!" Iago fell into the pond. "Blaah! Gah! No!" He snapped his fingers and teleported back to his original position over the pond. "You got lucky, prince! But now-"

"HA!" Corrin changed her hand into a dragon's mouth and fired a blast at Iago, sending him into a nearby branch, which caused him to fall to the ground. "You deserve worse!"

Iago glared and teleported again. He focused his energy and glowing sigils surrounded him.

The battlefield transformed again, this time it was the Eternal Stairway. Iago's victims appeared beside a rock, while the mage stood at the top, above his prey. "HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" In a repetitive arm gesture, Iago launched Excalibur spells, one after another, all headed down the stairs. "YAHAHAHAHA!"

"Dastard. That was actually a smart move for once," Xander complimented.

"Well, broken clocks and all that…"

The siblings had to hide behind the boulder in the stairs to avoid Iago's gale force assault. As Xander scoped their surroundings, Corrin gasped. "I have an idea! But it's kind of weird!"

"I have nothing. What is it?"

Up at the top of the steps, Iago noticed that the prince and princess have retreated entirely behind their shelter. "How annoying. Oh well, perhaps a water spell or something to erode that sto- OHHHH!"

Before Iago knew it, Xander was riding a stream of water, and ready to swing Siegfried. Iago tried to dodge, but Xander was better trained and landed his strike. "I can't believe that worked."

Dragon Corrin hurried up the steps, ready to join Xander in attacking Iago, but the mage teleported himself over the bottomless chasm. "Well, I suppose a change of scenery is in order! Again. HUAAAAAAH!"

Corrin and Xander recognized the Wind Tribe's village. Specifically, Corrin recalled facing Fuga on this rooftop. Iago flew about, hiding in a sand tornado. With waves of his arms, the wizard sent smaller tornados after Corrin and Xander. "HAHAHAHAHA! Enjoy the sights of the Wind Tribe!"

Xander and his horse tried to hold their ground, but Corrin had no such luck. She nearly went flying, but Xander managed to grab onto her hand. "Phew! Thanks, Xander!"

"Of course!"

Iago growled. "Mmmmeddlesome prince! Just die and let me kill her already!" With a snap, he vanished and reappeared right in front of Xander. "HYAH!" Iago thrust both arms, creating more winds to push Xander and Corrin off the roof. Sieghorse barely held on, so Corrin had only one chance.

"Aah… Take… this!" She transfigured her hand once more and shot water right at Iago's face. While he was distracted, the winds stopped. "Let go!" Corrin ordered. Xander set her free, which allowed Corrin to surprise Iago by clamping her hand-mouth around him. "Got you!"

"Aaaaah! You're going to eat me?! I knew you were a savage!"

Corrin sighed and shook her head, then threw Iago aside. But then Iago reappeared in his usual vantage point and summoned more glyphs.

Outside Macarath, Iago appeared atop one of the several stone pillars lining the palace's courtyard. He jumped back and forth from atop the different pillars, firing Excalibur blasts at his foes. "WEEEHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Xander and his sister both failed to hit Iago with their projectile attacks, as their opponent would not stay still. Avoiding his shots proved easy, however, so it was an even match.

"I have another idea!"

"You're not going to spit me at him again, are you?" Xander asked.

"No! …Although… No, no." Corrin prepared her Dragonstone again and transformed into a dragon. With this form's strength, Corrin proceeded to demolish all but one of the courtyard's pillars, leaving Iago with only one destination. "Nowhere to run!" She swung her tail, knocking Iago to the floor.

"Hold it, Iago!" This time, Xander tried to preemptively attack, but Iago was too quick.

"HAAAAH!"

"Hmm. If I had to guess, I'd say we're in Cyrkensia," Xander said. He and Corrin were on a boat in the frozen opera house. "Weren't all of you here without me?"

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, right before you- MOVE!"

The royals ran out of the way, just in time to avoid the stomp of a large likeness of Iago. Xander stared. "This fight… This is getting weird."

The giant version of Iago began stomping around, forcing Xander and Corrin to separate. Corrin had the worst of it, compared to Xander. Not only was her balance at risk, but she was being forced to run along ice barefoot. "Aaah! Cold! Cold! Cold! This is worse than Flora waking me up!"

"I told you to wear shoes!" Xander yelled from his position. "Wait… feet… Aha!" Not even needing to find a better position, Xander swung his sword again, and the beam hit the giant Iago's ankles.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhh!" Iago's scream heightened in pitch as he, bizarrely, shrunk to the size of a Mokushujin automaton. Xander merely blinked and swung again, hitting Iago with another beam. The mage teleported back to the top, at his regular size. "Okay, opera house. Bad idea!"

"This is just really weird, I'm… I'm not even mad at him anymore, just confused!" Xander confessed.

"HAAAH!"

Iago and the siblings appeared in a field close to the Great Wall. Iago growled and conjured an energy wall around the three fighters. With a finger snap, he proceeded to teleport all over the arena and fire at random.

"IF THIS DOESN'T FINISH YOU, NOTHING WILL!" Iago screamed.

"Aah! Ooh! Ouch!"

"Mm! Rrk! Ah!"

"WAH! WAH! HA! YAH! WAH!" Iago kept firing spells with reckless abandon, teleporting like mad. "YAAAAAH!" Iago disappeared, then reappeared while doing a spinning attack, arms coated in magic. "HRAAAAAAH!"

"Whoa!" Xander and Corrin dodged, and Iago disappeared. He rematerialized in another spot, trying his spin attack again. When it failed a second time, he tried it a third time. But this time, Iago stopped, dizzy. "Now!"

"Diz…zy…"

"This is it, Iago!" Corrin, as the closest to Iago, swung her blade and cut him down.

"WEEEEAAAAAAH!" Iago fell to his knees as the scene changed back to Castle Shirasagi.

Flora gasped.

"Corrin! Lord Xander! You're back!"

"Huh, she wasn't kidding," Elise said.

Xander and Corrin both noticed that their siblings, as well as Azura, Jakob and Gunter had all joined them in this room with Iago. Elise spoke up again. "See, Flora told us that Iago teleported away with the two of you!"

"Oww… Hey, Corrin, Xander… would you believe me… if I said… Garon had me under mmm…mmind control?"

"No," every single person answered at once.

"Please, have mmmmercy!"

"You nearly killed Elise!" Corrin cried. "Just because you wanted to kill me!"

Elise turned. "Wait, what?"

"You've betrayed king and country time and again just because you wanted to kill Corrin!" added Xander.

Flora turned to Gunter and Jakob. "He's the one who attacked us in the Eternal Stairway! I heard him confess that much! He's the reason Lilith is…"

While Jakob gasped, Gunter shook his head. "Of course he is…"

"H-hey! King Garon gave me a mmmmission to have Corrin suffer!"

"Yeah and you certainly seemed to enjoy it," Leo retorted.

Camilla glared. "You know, Iago, maybe your obsession with the idea of Corrin betraying you is what led to her actually betraying you?" She shrugged. "Food for thought as you die."

"Uh, but… I-"

"Oh, shut up," Leo interrupted. A flick of the wrist and several tree roots emerged and stabbed Iago before dragging him back with them into the ground. "Aaaaand done. That's right, I get the credit! All me! Does that do anything for you, Nohr?!"

Everyone cheered, while Xander had a wistful expression on his face. "Uh, hold on. What was that he mentioned about Father wanting you to suffer, Corrin? I seem to recall Father suggesting something like that before…"

Then everyone else all looked at each other and winced. Azura looked to Corrin. "We should tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Everyone shuffled awkwardly and cleared their throats, as Corrin met her brother. "Xander… You might want to sit down…"

Chapter Text

Xander had followed all his siblings to the chamber before Castle Shirasagi's throne room.

"So you're telling me that we have to dethrone our father," Xander summarized, "because he's actually a hideous monster pretending to be our king and father. And that was the whole purpose of winning this war and having him sit upon Queen Mikoto's throne. Am I correct?"

"…Yes," Corrin answered, nodding her head. "That's what I discovered with Gunter and Azura."

Anna walked up to everyone. "Huh? What's going on?"

Kaze turned to her. "Lord Xander's figuring out the truth."

"Oh finally! Now we don't have to watch our mouths around him!"

"He still has yet to accept it. Also he outranks every one of us here and could put us away for attempted treason," Kaze clarified.

"Oh… So not out of the woods yet, huh?"

"No."

Xander glanced at each of his siblings. Corrin and Azura were clearly the ringleaders of this operation. Elise appeared determined, signaling that she bought into their tale. Leo was unreadable, as usual. Camilla looked concerned, though that was also the norm. From a glance, they all seemed the same. But the other three had not once interrupted Corrin and Azura's explanation. In fact, they seemed to anticipate it.

The prince found this to be troubling in its own right.

Izana shrugged. "Well, she's right. The gods told me!"

"A number of our retainers seemed to know it before even Corrin," Leo added.

Felicia nodded. "Anna even knew it! Would you doubt your future wife?"

"Stop calling me that!" Anna insisted.

Elise looked away shyly. "I… I just had some theories, that's all…"

Xander sighed. "No matter how much evidence you have, I'm going to need some concrete proof if you wish for me to believe you. It's… compelling, but as the crown prince, I can't just fight my own father because of a hunch!"

"What if it was a really, really good hunch?" asked Silas.

"You could just fight him because he's a tyrant," Gunter suggested. Flora stood next to him and hit him with her elbow.

"Ow!"

"This is why you and your sister need armor," the old knight bragged.

Jakob stood on Gunter's other side and exposed his gauntlets to Flora. "Why do you think I wear these?"

Xander directed his attention to Azura. "How did the three of you discover this?"

"Well… If I told you, I'd disappear. I would literally vanish and die."

"…A convenient explanation for you," Xander said. "You'll forgive me if I don't believe it."

"Well then what are you waiting for?" The songstress nodded her head and folded her arms. "Let's all go in there right now! He's been in there a while, so he had to have transformed already! Let's go!"

"…Fine. Since all of you seem so sure, there's no harm in at least looking." He approached the door, designating himself to be the one to open it. "And if you're all mistaken, there will be serious repercussions."

Elise gasped, but Corrin merely nodded her head. "That's fair. But I think you'll find that we're right."

"We'll see." With that, Xander took hold of the door and pushed it open.

"Father, are you in th- AAAAAAH!"

Everyone ran over to the door to see what had Xander so frightened. What they saw was truly a horrifying sight: upon the throne sat not King Garon, but a large, melting mess. He had been reduced to a pile of sickeningly green sludge, with a skeletal growth where his face used to be. The only indicators that this was Garon were his cape and crown, both of which had started to be absorbed by the monstrosity.

Xander led everyone else nearer to the monster. Leo, Camilla and Azura all followed the closest behind.

"F-father….?"

The distorted being's eye sockets lit up as it heard the prince's voice. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE…. THIS KING'S BODY HAS BEEN RUINED… YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO SEE ME THIS WAAAAAAY!"

Leo blankly stared. "…Ok."

Garon's howl sent chills down everyone's spines. It stood up, revealing slots in its chest, with a single glowing light darting about within. Extending its gooey arm, the monster grabbed Bolverk nearby. "I MUST KILL YOU!"

Elise and the maid sisters all screamed in fright, while Gunter only scowled. "…Nope, it doesn't look any less hideous the second time around."

Anna whistled and put her hands on her hips. "So yeah I'd say Corrin and Azura were on the money."

"F-Father, are you… feeling well?" Camilla asked. She winced at her own stupid question. "I mean… Well…"

"It's a known fact that Queen Mikoto's throne dispels lies," Azura reminded her. "Such as the lie that he was actually King Garon."

"YOU'VE TRAPPED ME IN A SOILED VESSEL! …I CANNOT ASSUME MY TRUE FORM! YOU WILL PAAAAAAY!" The monster swung Bolverk with its unexpectedly extendable arm, barely missing Xander, Leo, Camilla and Azura.

"…Wait, so is Father dead? Like, actually deceased?!" Elise asked. At this, Leo turned to Corrin.

"I thought you said he wasn't!"

Corrin shrugged. "I thought maybe he could still be alive! Azura's the one who was so sure!"

Camilla turned to her blue-haired sister. "Azura, I thought you told us there was a chance we could save Father!"

"Uh, no. I said he could still be alive, and not to hold your breath. Or something like that."

"So… our Father is truly gone," Xander stated. "That's… But when? How?"

"MEANINGLESS QUESTIONS… NOW DIE!" The abomination took another swing, this time successfully hitting Leo and sending him into a column. Gunter snapped his fingers, ordering Jakob to go heal the prince.

"Leo!" Xander shook his head and drew Siegfried. "All right, I've seen enough." The prince pointed his blade at the foul beast. "You make a mockery of our father and king! I've destroyed my innocence and idealism to help you make it this far, in hopes that you would return to being the stern, but caring father you once were. But that was only another fantasy that I had yet to let go of, it seems."

Corrin shut her eyes and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Xander… I'm sorry to all of you… I hoped maybe it wouldn't be too late, but I guess it was."

"You're not the one who should apologize, Corrin," Xander said. "This thing is!" He shot a crimson beam at the beast's chest. It flinched, but ultimately withstood the attack. "No! Not enough?!"

Izana gasped. "Funny you should mention that, Xander!"

Kaze looked over. "And why is-"

A bright light coated the room. Xander and Corrin felt strange new power coursing through their veins. When they could see again, Camilla gasped. "The Yato! It's different!"

"It's like the legend said!" Flora gasped.

"What legend?" asked Silas.

"An Ice Tribe legend. Yato came into contact with Brynhildr and Siegfried… now it's…"

"Shadow Yato…" Corrin whispered in awe. She looked over to the false Garon. "You're finished now!"

"NOT YET!" The monster tried to swing its axe again, but Corrin dashed up to it and struck it with Shadow Yato. "GAAaaaaAAAaAAaaahhHHH!"

Jakob helped Leo make it back to the others, and the young prince nodded. "That's right… this happened with Brynhildr… before…"

"foOOoooOlS!" The beast let out an unholy shriek, and a wave of sludge pushed everyone back to the entrance of the throne room.

Xander stood first. "Nohrians! There is one last obstacle standing in our way! Let's end this and restore glory to Nohr!"

While everyone else prepared themselves, the hollowed king summoned invisible soldiers, all coated in purple flames. This impostor would not go without a fight.

Several of the Nohrians had a hard time standing. Corrin planted Shadow Yato into the ground as a means of support, when she saw a familiar black-clad arm reaching out of the miasma, and a bit of blue hair. She gasped. "Flora!"

Corrin reached for the arm and pulled it toward her, rescuing Flora from drowning and held her close. "Th…thank you… Corrin…"

"Of course… Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine…"

Gunter and his steed slowly moved past. "We're going to be helpless unless we can get out of this sludge. I have a feeling those ghouls won't have as much trouble."

"…I have an idea." Corrin grabbed Flora and carried her like a bride. "Up you go!"

"Aah! Corrin what are you doing?" Flora asked. She went ignored as Corrin walked over to Gunter and placed her side-saddle behind the knight. This freed Corrin to assume her dragon form.

"Let's go!"

"Yikes! Garon sure got ugly!" Silas exclaimed, finally getting his horse out of the muck. Azura sat behind him on the horse. "I sure hope little Elise takes after her mom, geez!"

"Silas, you were paying attention, right? That throne revealed Garon's true form. Or, it tried to and he transformed back and got stuck as that gooey thing… or something like that."

"Oh."

"Gaaah…." Silent Sorcerers crept closer to Silas. One waved its arms to prepare a spell, but was shot with an arrow from Anna. "AH!"

"Pay attention, doofus!" Anna scolded.

"Oh, right!" Silas looked ahead and hurled a spear at one of the other Sorcerers, while Azura gave Anna the speed to draw her next arrow faster. When the third wizard had fallen, the Paladin nodded. "Phew, that was too close."

"Yeah, because you kept talking to Azura," Anna told him. "We're almost finished with this route, and I'm not gonna let you mess it up by blabbing the whole time!" She walked ahead. "Man, what's up with Garon? I thought he'd turn into a dragon, not melt!"

"Wheeee!" Izana flew past, riding an energy dragon. Felicia clung to the dragon's tail.

"Aaaah! Izana, stop this crazy thing!"

The merchant blinked. "Aw man. I wish I had a ride…" She looked over at Silas and Azura. "Say…"

"Get your own," Azura preempted her.

"Phooey!"

"Lord Leo, are you well?" Jakob asked, as he caught up to Leo and Camilla fighting off some Silent Snipers.

"HAH!" The prince took one out. "I'll be fine. Thank you for asking, though." He turned back to the butler. "You know, I feel like we don't talk a lot."

"That's because I'm generally not interested in you or your trials," responded Jakob. "I merely wished to know if my healing was sufficient."

Leo took a good, long look at Jakob. "You know, you're rather blunt. I like that about you."

"Well if you don't like it, you may- Hold on." Jakob arched his eyebrow. "You… don't mind that I'm blunt?"

"Not at all." Leo rolled his eyes. "Formalities can be a mess, I prefer people whom speak their minds."

"I see… Lord Leo, I believe we could be… What was the word? Fiends?"

"You mean 'friends?'"

"Yes, that thing. Lady Corrin is always asking me to find some…"

The prince nodded. "All right." He then turned over to Camilla. "Camilla, I'm going to bring a plus-one to your next tea part- Oh!" Leo looked over in time to find a Sniper shooting down Marzia, with the rough landing also hurting the princess.

"Aaaah… Can you hold… that thought, Leo? Owww…"

"Uh, yeah… Jakob, heal her."

The butler nodded and prepared to heal Camilla, while Leo focused on the last Sniper.

"Get lost, scumbags!" Elise shouted, throwing a few spells at Silent Merchants. A Silent Priestess managed to heal them, until one of Kaze's shuriken got lodged in her face. "Ooh! Nice headshot!"

"Yes, well…"

Xander and Elise were free to attack the enemies from a distance, but some other monsters were beginning to take their place. The prince took a moment to wipe sweat from his brow. "This is bad. A few of us have gotten past, but now that beast is calling more reinforcements…"

"I think there's a secret passage," Kaze suggested. "It could take us closer to the throne, and there's no way Garon could know about it."

"Don't call him 'Garon', Kaze. He is not our father."

The Ninja Master shrugged. "Well, what are we going to call him? 'Garon' is pretty easy to say compared to anything else."

Elise nodded. "Let's call him, 'Gooron', heehee! Get it? Because goo?"

"Elise, that name could never work," Xander told her.

"And why not?!"

"It sounds too similar to 'Goron'. I don't want to offend the mountain people."

Kaze winced and threw a few more stars, saving the distracted royals from more Merchants. "So is that a yes or no on the secret passage? I need a verdict!"

"Right, let's gather the others," Xander directed.

The first ones to make it back to the throne were Corrin, Gunter and Flora, Izana, and Felicia. The dragon returned to her human form. "It's over… uh… Who are you?"

"yOOOoOoOUUu…. I ShoOOULd HaaAve KillLeD yOu wheEEEeN i hAd THE chaaAAaance…"

The monster prepared to attack with Bolverk again, but this time it was only focused on Corrin. The princess dodged in time and then severed the monster's limb with one slash. "HA!"

"AAaaaaAaAaaaAAAAAaHHHhhh!" The false Garon writhed in pain, and Izana giggled.

"Say hello to Mr. Fluffles!" Izana waved a scroll, summoning an energy rabbit to attack the slime monster. It latched onto the beast's torso and began gnawing. Using this distraction, Gunter raced toward his former king. Flora whispered to herself, allowing ice to coat over Gunter's lance. Finally, Gunter attacked.

"HA! I've been waiting to do this for years!"

"Me too!" Flora said.

"gUUnTer… iCe hOOOsTaagE…" Felicia then threw some ice-coated daggers at the melting monstrosity. "GaaaAAAah!" It thrashed about in pain. "traITOooOrs! YOOu muSt oBeY youR kiiiIIING!"

Corrin had her tome ready and threw a lightning bolt. "I never got to meet my king!"

"AAaahH!"

"And you're not Garon!" She threw another.

"urrRRK!"

"But I bet the real Garon is tormented because of you!" Corrin then traded her tome for Shadow Yato. With both hands, she gripped tightly. "So we're fighting in his honor! For Nohr!" The princess ran up to the beast and hit it with a Shadow Yato jump-slash.

"YEEEEEEeeeeeeaaaaAAaAaaAAAAwwwwWWW!"

Xander, Elise and Kaze rushed onto the scene, leading everyone else. They all arrived in time to watch the monster fall to its knees. As it faded away in a swirl of blue energy, they all thought that they could hear a voice.

thank you… my children…

Nothing remained.

Everyone waited silently for a moment, then Xander was the first to speak. "Rest in peace, Father."

"…He'll be able to, now," Kaze told him. "We did the right thing."

Another quiet minute passed before Camilla smiled mirthlessly. "Hey Leo. Do you remember that time Father let you ride on his shoulders?"

"Yeah. That's my favorite memory of Father."

Xander grinned. "Elise, I know you were young, but you should've seen the look on Father's face when he first held you."

"He… he held me?" the princess asked. Xander only nodded in response, and Corrin smiled sadly.

"I wish I could've met him." She sighed. "If this never happened to Garon, I'd probably never have met all of you, though. Or at the very least I wouldn't see you as my family." Corrin winced. "So, is it wrong to think that some good came out of this?"

Flora removed herself from the saddle and went to put her hand on Corrin's shoulder. "If there's one thing meeting everyone here has taught me, it's to look at the bright side."

Azura nodded. "Yeah. I didn't get to know the real Garon for very long, but at least we all have each other."

Izana noticed Gunter mumbling to himself. In a surprising show of tact, Izana spoke quietly to the knight. "What's wrong, Gunter?"

"For so long, I wanted revenge on Garon," Gunter spoke in the same pitch. "But I suppose the real Garon isn't the one to blame for my village. It never quite occurred to me until now. That, and it's hard to feel satisfied when Garon's children are all reminiscing over him."

"Well hey. At least the war's over!" Izana chirped, this time loud enough for everyone.

Anna looked around nervously. "What? We still have another chapter to go! What else is there? Unless… Oh no."

Jakob looked over. "Oh what is it now?"

A dark purple arrow soared between Corrin and Flora's faces. The women gasped, and all members of the group turned to the arrow's direction at the throne room's entrance. Anna glared. "You?! It's you?!"

Silas squinted and leaned over to Felicia. "Have we seen him before?"

"Yes! It's Lady Corrin's brother-"

"Takumi…" Corrin finished.

There he was, waiting at the entrance of the throne room. He was coated in purple flames, slouched over. He was shuddering loudly. "I am betrayal… I am betrayal… I am betrayal…"

Corrin frowned. "Takumi?"

"You… betrayed…. You… you…" He readied another arrow, and it then occurred to Corrin, Azura and Kaze that Takumi no longer wielded Fujin Yumi. "I have to kill you!" With that, he fired. Everyone moved out of the way, but Corrin was too slow.

"Aaah!" A sharp pain ran through her side. "Takumi, stop! The war is over!"

"We can deal with him," Camilla told her sister. "It's fourteen of us against just one of him! Thirteen, if you don't feel up to it."

Izana shook his head. "No this definitely isn't Takumi anymore."

"What are you saying?" Xander asked him.

"Death, betrayal, murder, betrayal, despair, betrayal…"

Elise was frightened at the very sight of him. "Why does he keep saying stuff like that?!"

Azura frowned. "Oh no… I get it now." She shook her head. "Everyone, this is the same thing that happened to King Garon."

Her response was a collective gasp, but Corrin had the worst reaction. "Wait, so Takumi is… He died?!"

"He… he did jump off that wall..." Felicia reminded her liege.

Corrin's heart sank. "Wh-what?! But… No! He wasn't supposed to die!"

Then Takumi began to stand up straight, his eyes were red and lifeless. "You destroyed Hoshido… my family was ruined… I have nothing left!"

"Undead or not, I don't like his tone," Gunter said. He twirled his lance in preparation, but Corrin held her hand out.

"Wait. He's right, though…" She shut her eyes and grimaced. "I… I really hurt these people when I left them. Takumi hated me, but it looks like… he was hurt worst of all. And then I go and lead an army to ransack his kingdom all in a plan to overthrow Garon. He's right about me…"

Flora shook her head. "You were doing the right thing! You sincerely believed this was the only way to end the war, didn't you? I did!"

"You kept telling these people that you never meant to hurt them," Leo said. "We were at war, somebody was going to get hurt regardless."

"But that doesn't change the fact that I'm the reason he's like this now!" Corrin argued. She shuddered. "Takumi's lost himself to this same monster as King Garon, all because of me! I need to take responsibility."

"Because of all of us," Xander corrected. "You might have led us, but we all played a part in this war. For the same reasons as you- because we believed we were right. So we're together on this one."

Azura nodded. "He's right, Corrin… I can also be blamed. Maybe if I were there, I could've noticed something was off about Takumi. Maybe my song could've helped…"

"Shut up… Nohrians!" Takumi moaned. "Once I… kill you, the pain… in my head… will leave!"

"…I'm going to try one last time," Corrin said. She then left Flora and stepped closer to Takumi.

"Corrin!"

"Corrin, get back!" Gunter and Xander ordered at once.

"Takumi, please listen! I'm sorry that I hurt you! I've been a cruel sister to you, I can't deny that." She shook her head. "But I know deep down, you-"

"Shut up!" Takumi raised his bow, Skadi, and fired an arrow right at Corrin's stomach. She attempted to block with Yato, but the force of the arrow shattered the sword and punctured her abdomen. She flew and landed on her back, right before the throne. "There… Finally…"

"CORRIN!" Elise ran over to Corrin's body, but Takumi grunted and fired another arrow. Xander jumped in the way and blocked it with his shield. "Aaah! It's not working!" Elise failed to impede Corrin's blood loss from her wound. "Corrin, no!"

"Gods…" Gunter whispered.

"This is isn't good!" Camilla turned to her younger brother. "Leo, do you have a plan?!"

"N-no…"

"But you always have a plan!"

Everyone remained petrified in fear, and Takumi finally spoke again.

"All of you… are next…"

Chapter Text

"Kamui?"

Corrin woke up. She was back in her guest room in Castle Shirasagi. Queen Mikoto stood beside her futon. Corrin gasped and stood up. "M-Mother! I… What…"

"You… you had an… unfortunate accident, Kamui…"

Corrin nervously inched backwards, her breathing getting faster. "I-I… I'm sorry…" Her eyes began to water, and she turned away from Mikoto. "Mother, I'm sorry… I… I've been a horrible daughter…" She sobbed. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry… I'm… I'm…"

Mikoto came closer to her child and turned around. Corrin was still crying, as Mikoto rested her hands on Corrin's face. "Oh, Kamui… It hurts me to see you so upset…"

Corrin shut her eyes. "It can't hurt you more than to watch your own daughter ruin your countryside and indirectly kill two of your sons! How can you even look at me?!"

The mother put her arms around her daughter and softly patted her back. "The worst thing I can do is lie to you, Kamui. …It does hurt. As the former queen, I'm pained to see everything that's happened. But I know that you only wanted to stop this war by any means. Yato chose you, Kamui, as I foresaw. You're still meant to do great things."

Corrin sniffled. "I… It was because of what happened…" She finally hugged Mikoto back. "You didn't deserve what happened to you! E-everyone else wanted to avenge you, but… I didn't want anyone else to die… But that didn't change anything."

The mother and child stood together in silence for a moment. It was eventually broken when Corrin finally looked her mother in the eyes.

"What happens now? I… I was shot by that arrow…"

"Kamui, are you ready for our sparring session? Don't keep me waiting," Ryoma's voice was audible. Kamui flinched at his voice, and Mikoto turned around. The fallen prince stood in the doorway.

"That's not necessary, Ryoma. Kamui knows what's happened to her."

"Oh. I see." Ryoma's stern expression softened. " Did you tell her how she can return?"

"I-I can?!"

Mikoto nodded. "I was just about to." She turned back to Corrin. "Listen, Kamui. Focus on all your friends' thoughts. You'll find your way back from there."

"Thank you. I... I have a lot to make up for. So I can't die yet." Mikoto only smiled.

"It makes me proud to hear you say that."

She let go of Corrin, allowing her to concentrate. As she did, the bedroom faded away and the three stood in a field much like the one at Hoshido's border.

"I can't lose another family member. Please wake up, Corrin…" Azura…

"That bleeding heart of hers… I always knew it would be her end. But… I don't want it to end! Wake up, Corrin!"

"Please wake up, Corrin. I couldn't bear to lose another precious sibling…"

"Corrin... I hope I didn't take her for granted…"

"Please, please wake up, Corrin! I visited you almost every day! Please!"

Her brothers and sisters…

"C'mon, get up already! This wasn't in my prediction!"

"I know she's going to come back, but these hero near-deaths… they still get to me…"

"I've betrayed my homeland for milady, and then I fail to protect her. What kind of ninja am I?"

"She's gonna wake up, now. Any minute now. These guys are worried for nothing. Corrin's tough!"

Izana… Anna… Kaze… Silas…

"Would Lady Corrin wake up already? It's not like her to make us worry… Please…"

"This is bad! Our lady can't die! Why won't she get up?!"

"Were my wife, son and Lilith not enough?! I will not allow everyone I've loved to die before me!"

"Corrin, please, please wake up! I don't want to lose you too…!"

Jakob… Felicia… Gunter… and Flora...

"Cor…rin… save this boy… from my fate…"

Was that… Father?!

"They really do care about you, don't they?" Corrin turned around and saw Takumi in the field with her.

"T-Takumi! I… I'm sorry about-"

"Calm down, I'm not here to fight," the Sniper spoke. He looked past Corrin and exchanged glances with Mikoto and Ryoma. Then back at Corrin. "Azura was right. I did…" He gulped. "I did die… at the wall…"

"Oh… Oh Takumi, I'm sorry! The last thing I wanted was to cause all this for you! I know there's no excuse, but-"

"Kamui," Takumi interrupted. "Mother told me everything when I woke up here. And…" He anxiously stared down at his boots. "I still don't forgive you. But this whole mess is bigger than you and me. I… I can't forgive Nohr, but I don't want my corpse to kill innocent Nohrians, or anyone for that matter! Just… as one sisterly favor for me… can you please put an end to him?"

"Takumi…" Corrin balled her hand into a fist. "I will. That's the least I can do for you."

"And… can you apologize to Azura for me?" Takumi hung his head. "Maybe if I was nicer to her when she lived with us… she wouldn't have left us behind too."

"Yeah… I'll do that for you too." She gasped. "Wait! Shadow Yato broke! How can I fight?! I don't know if turning into a dragon is enough, or my magic."

"You can use Raijinto and Fujin's power," Ryoma told her. "That should be able to help you." He smirked. "We may not be family by blood, but you have the same determination the rest of us do. I know you'll succeed."

Corrin nodded and went back to meditating. She shut her eyes and held out her hand. Hearing the thoughts of her friends, and homing in on the energies of Fujin and Raijinto, the Shadow Yato returned to Corrin's hand. "Aaah! I did it!"

Ryoma and Takumi nodded approvingly, while Mikoto smiled knowingly.

Corrin turned back to everyone. "I have a lot to make up for. I don't know if I can ever set things right. But I won't forgive myself if I don't even try. I hope that when I come back, I'll be someone you can be proud of."

Mikoto wiped a joyful tear from her eye, when a flash of light appeared. Everyone faced the newcomer, Lilith.

"Corrin, don't think I won't watch over you too!"

"Lilith!" Corrin immediately hugged her old friend. "Lilith, I've missed you so much! We all have!"

Lilith returned the hug before breaking it off, and taking Corrin's free hand into her own. "I miss all of you too. I'll help you get back to them. One last favor."

"Thank you, Lilith." Corrin fought back more tears. "I'll… I'll give your regards to Gunter and Flora and all the others."

The astral servant smiled. "That means a lot to me, Corrin. I'll wait for you all. Now close your eyes and remember where you left off…"

Corrin and Lilith joined hands. They both concentrated with all their might, and vanished.

Slowly, Corrin sat up, to the joy of Elise and Flora. "Big Sister! You're awake!" Elise hugged Corrin, sobbing. "I-I-I was so scared, Corrin! Don't do that again!"

Flora joined in as well, nearly on the verge of tears herself, and the air grew colder. "Thank the gods you're okay! Are you still hurt? Does anything feel out of place?"

"Nope. I'm all good now. Thank you for taking care of me, guys. I didn't mean to scare you."

Elise and Flora allowed Corrin some space to stand. Only then did Corrin notice Shadow Yato had returned to her sheath. She looked around and saw her brothers beside a makeshift wall, straining to hold it up, with assistance from Kaze.

"Corrin?!" Azura walked over to the three. "You're up!"

"I am. What's going on?"

The songstress winced. "It's not good. Takumi's waiting by the door and constantly attacking us. Xander and Leo used a Dragon's Vein to put up a wall, but some Faceless are sneaking past. Some of us are fighting them off, but there aren't enough of us to go around."

"That is bad… Well, I saw Takumi while I was in limbo. He told me… he told me to finish him. So he doesn't become like Garon. I… I also saw Mikoto and Ryoma there… And Takumi wanted me to tell you something." Azura gasped. "He said he was sorry for the way he treated you."

Azura's eyes went wide. "Oh… Oh, I… Wow." She turned away to whisper, "Thank you, Takumi. I'm sorry too. I'll do my best to save you…"

Corrin turned around to Flora and Elise. "Lilith said hi too. She's going to watch over us."

"…I appreciate that," Flora said. Elise nodded.

"Yeah, Lilith was always nice."

"Takumi's trusting me," Corrin said. "I have to be the one to finish this for him." She glared. "And after that, I'm done with fighting."

"I'll sing for you," Azura responded. "My song weakens demons, so it might help you here. I'll just use my pendant's power to help me."

"All right…"

Leo ran up to the others. "So I think the wall can hold for now- Corrin!"

"I'm back, Leo! And so is Yato! Do you have a plan we can use?"

"Hmm… Give me a moment."

Leo had everyone gather to hear his plan. Elise and Silas would protect Azura as she sang, using a Dragon's Vein to create a wall before the singer. Everyone else would rush down the throne room to reach Takumi. Whenever he would prepare a big attack, someone with Dragon's Vein capability would create another wall. There were only three chances to do this. The others would fight off any Faceless from the side.

Everyone went along with the plan fine, but someone stopped Corrin.

"Corrin, I'm going to fight him with you," Flora said. "I'm not going to let you do this alone! Not after I almost lost you!" She embraced Corrin. "Maybe I can't lay a scratch on Takumi, but I can still keep you safe. You're my best friend, and we still have to live!" She smiled at Corrin. "You won't change my mind."

Corrin smiled and returned the hug. "...Thank you, Flora."

"Are we ready now?" Azura asked. Corrin nodded.

"Here we go!" Elise focused and crafted a wall before her and Azura.

"You are the ocean's gray waaaaaves…"

Back at the entrance of the throne room, Takumi seized up. "Aaah!... That… song! Azura… I'll kill you too! Kill… everyone in my way!"

"He's affected. Move!" Xander ordered.

Everyone charged forward, leaving Elise and Silas with Azura, as per the plan. Silas nodded. "You just keep singing, Lady Azura! Your brothers and sisters are gonna take him out in no time!"

Azura did not respond, still singing her song. Elise had to take her place. "Not now, she's singing! We gotta be quiet so she can keep it up!"

"O-oh yeah! Sorry Azura!"

"Silas!"

"Gah, sorry…"

"Rrraaah…"

"Faceless?!" Elise shrieked. Silas turned and gasped. A Faceless was emerging from a cosmic puddle on the ground. The knight and the princess rushed over to take it out. "No! Bad Faceless! You leave my sister alone!"

While Elise needed no help, Silas spotted another Faceless coming from another side and gasped. He rushed his horse over to the Faceless and stabbed it with his javelin. "Oh man, those guys had better hurry!"

"Gaaaah! What more is it going to take?!" Takumi cried. He charged Skadi with all his power, casting dark energy all around his area of the throne room. "DIE ALREADY!"

He fired, sending a large, purple flame in the shape of a dragon's skull at the Nohrians.

"Whoa! Dragon's Vein time!" Izana announced.

"I'll take this one!" Leo stopped and concentrated. He created a wall like before, and thankfully it was strong enough to withstand the attack. "Phew… I'll keep this wall up in case you need it! GO!" Leo ordered.

Xander, Camilla, Corrin, Flora, Kaze, Jakob and Felicia all ran ahead. Izana and Anna, however, stayed with Leo.

"Don't worry buddy, I'll help keep ya safe from the monsters. Like this one!" Izana waved a scroll, sending two energy rabbits to take out some incoming Faceless. "Heeheehee!"

"I'm not gonna let any knockouts ruin this endgame background music! I'll help too!" Anna told Leo. She notched an arrow and shot one Faceless before it could come for Leo. "Cha-ching!"

Leo nodded. "All right. The wall can hold for now, let's take out these extra Faceless while the others hurry!"

"Yeah I just hope they do it quickly," said Anna. "This is a 'Defeat the Boss' objective. They're gonna keep coming until someone beats Takumi."

"Okay, how do you know all this?!" Leo was fed up.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh fine… I'm the Random Number Goddess. Happy?!"

"…You're mocking me."

"Would I do that to you, Prince Leo?"

"Yes."

She feigned insult and crossed her arms. "Wow, I never! And here I was all set up to marry your brother! Okay but seriously, I am the Random Number Goddess!"

"Okay whatever, don't tell me. We have more important matters anyway!" Leo rode his horse away, leaving Anna confused.

"Huh. You'd think a smart cookie like him would've already figured it out by now."

"Yeah he's pretty stubborn," Izana replied.

As the others continued their rush, Takumi began firing standard arrows, or as standard as Skadi could fire, and all were aimed at Camilla.

"Hahaha!" She dodged one. "Close!" Another. "Aww, too bad!"

"Camilla, don't taunt him!" Corrin warned.

The Malig Knight sighed. "Corrin, I know you're attached to these people. But he's already dead, and he's trying to kill us. I'm not going to be nice."

"That's not it. I just think he might try something if you make him too mad."

"…Oh. I did not consider that."

"DIIIIIIIIE!"

"Wonderful, he's charging again," Jakob complained.

Gunter took the lead. "Keep going! We have to cover as much ground we can before setting up another wall!" He turned his head back. "Jakob, if you fall too far behind and that screws us over, you're gonna get a lecture!"

"Why are you always picking on me?!" The butler grew indignant.

Felicia giggled. "Ha-ha, Jakob's in trou-ble!"

"I'll handle this!" Xander shouted. He stopped his horse and concentrated, crafting the Nohrians' second wall. Everyone got behind it in time to avoid Takumi's onslaught.

From his position, Takumi glared. "You're going to run out of walls eventually!"

"Rrrah!" A trio of Faceless stampeded toward Xander and everyone else. The eldest royal glared. "All of you, move on!"

"Jakob, Felicia, support Lord Xander!" Gunter ordered.

"But our lady-" Jakob was about to protest, when Felicia interrupted.

"Aye, aye Gunter!"

Everyone else ran ahead, leaving Xander, Felicia and Jakob to deal with the Faceless. Xander began humming to himself. Felicia looked over. "Lord Xander? Are you trying to help Azura?"

"No, I'm humming the national anthem. It soothes me. It's also the only song I know."

"RAAAAA!"

"Oh yeah, the baddies." Felicia readied a set of daggers and began to throw, as Jakob did the same.

"Wonderful how we never seem to run out of these."

Kaze was Takumi's next target as the dwindling group made it closer to their goal. He flipped over the incoming arrow and kept going. "Not this time! I'm not getting defeated before everyone else does anymore!"

"That's the spirit, Kaze!" Corrin assured. "We're not gonna let anything stop us!"

"Stop!" Flora called, as Camilla created another wall for everyone. The group got behind it before Takumi's ultimate attack, and Flora wiped her brow. "This isn't good, he's getting faster!"

"RARGH!"

"Oh, I don't think so!" Camilla flew over to a nearby Faceless to chop it up, while Gunter turned to Corrin, Flora and Kaze. "The rest of you, go now! You're almost there!"

"All right," Corrin nodded. "Let's hurry!" She ran off, with Flora and Kaze following behind. Gunter laughed to himself, as he went to join Camilla.

"War and I go way back, Camilla! Watch a pro show you how it's done!"

"Kamui…" Takumi growled. "I'm going to kill you, if it's the last thing I do!"

Corrin and Flora made it to Takumi at last. The Nohrian princess held Shadow Yato out. "You're not Takumi! You got into his head and manipulated him, just like King Garon!"

"All of you… I'll destroy all of you!" Takumi fired at Corrin, but the princess dodged this time. Kaze appeared behind Takumi in a cloud of smoke and kicked him in the back. "Gyaah!"

"Your back was open."

"Kaze… You will die too!" A second Takumi materialized beside the first one, and fired at Kaze. The ninja gasped and flipped away in time.

"Gods!"

The first Takumi turned back to find Corrin right in front of him, about to strike. He took the hit, but recovered and fired at Corrin point blank. As Corrin fell, Flora took her place and began swinging her dagger repeatedly, forcing Takumi to stay on the defensive. She finished by gathering ice power in her free hand, and then shoving it in Takumi's Face.

"Aaaaaah! What did you do?!" As Takumi tried to get the ice off his face, Flora hurried back to Corrin's position and healed her with a staff.

"Are you all right, Corrin?!"

"I'm good!"

Kaze and the doppelganger's battle continued in the meanwhile. "You will pay!" The doppelganger fired an arrow from his own Skadi. Kaze narrowed his eyes and hurled a shuriken with all his might, right into the energy arrow. "What?!"

"Yes!" The second Skadi's arrow dispersed as the shuriken flew through it… before reforming on the other side and striking Kaze in the arm. "Aaaah!"

"No!" the replica screamed, as the shuriken hit his face, destroying him.

In time, Takumi's purple flames melted Flora's ice, and he immediately fired an arrow at Corrin. The princess blocked with her sword. "Blast, he melted it too quickly!"

"I'll kill you! I have to kill you! I have to be the one!" Takumi fired again, Corrin jumped to the floor to Takumi's right. She rolled along until she was beside Takumi and slashed him along the side of his body. "Aaaaaaah!"

"Hyaah!"

She swung once more, bringing Takumi to his knees. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" He collapsed onto his side. "D-defeated… by you…"

All throughout the throne room, every last Faceless fell limp and began to evaporate like water, and the cosmic puddles shrank. At the back of the room, Elise and Silas both wiped their brows in relief. Silas turned over. "Good job, Azura! I think it's over now!"

"…the path is/yours to climb… You are the ocean's gray waves…" Azura fell onto her knees. "Ugh… Finally…"

Anna and Izana sighed in relief, while Leo nodded in approval…

…Xander sheathed Siegfried, while Felicia rested and Jakob searched for more opponents…

…Camilla and Gunter gave each other respectful glances at a job well done…

…Flora tended to Kaze's injuries…

"Takumi!"

…while Corrin shifted her brother onto his back.

"Takumi, can you hear me?"

The prince could not even open his eyes, and was horribly out of breath. "K-Kam...ui… th-th-thank… you… sis...ter…"

Corrin nodded. "…You're welcome, Takumi. And… I'm sorry..."

Behind the queen's throne, Azura sat all by herself. The sounds of everyone using the Dragon's Veins to try to restore the chamber to some semblance of its former self could be heard. Azura merely looked down at her body, being consumed by blue energy, much like the Faceless. She cracked a sad smile.

"It's better this way… They don't need to worry about me." She leaned her head back and winced in pain. "Aah! I just hope… they can get along… It won't be… easy… but not… impossible either…"

She could hear Corrin ruminating on the force that overtook Garon and Takumi, while Xander congratulated everyone. Azura would like to explain, but she knew she had no time left. Though with this war over, she could rest, knowing the Silent Dragon had lost too many pieces to keep playing his game.

"Ryoma… Takumi… Mikoto… see you… soon…"

Azura shut her eyes and allowed fate to take over.

The conquest of Hoshido was short-lived. The reputation of Queen Mikoto's throne helped smooth over Nohr's acceptance of their king's loss, but only by a small amount. That said, the confrontation with Takumi was kept quiet from most, though Corrin felt that Hinoka and Sakura had a right to closure.

"All right, listen up!" Gunter called out. So many people had gathered in the throne room of Castle Krakenburg, Corrin was surprised they fit. "So Garon's old news now. Give it up for King Xander!" He lazily threw Garon's old crown at the boy. "There ya go."

Xander caught it. "Phew. Um, this was cleaned, right? Since… the last person who wore it was… y'know…" Gunter only shrugged, as Xander sighed and donned the crown. The citizens all cheered, as Xander frowned with only light intensity. Which was his way of smiling. "People of Nohr, I have literally rehearsed this speech twenty times a day for my last ten birthdays, on the off chance this would happen. So here we go. Ahem…"

Camilla sniffled. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry!"

"Ah yes. I feel very proud for Xander too," Leo replied.

"Not that. I'm just happy Father isn't king anymore." Leo turned his head. "What? I'll still miss him, but come on…"

"That's… not un-true…" Leo winced.

Corrin caught Elise looking upset. "Elise? What's wrong?"

"I still miss Azura…"

"Oh…" Corrin matched Elise's expression. "Yeah… I still can't believe she could just disappear like that. Hinoka and Sakura haven't seen her either… Where could she be?"

"Do you think she just doesn't like us?" Elise asked. "I don't like to think so."

"No way, she liked us." Corrin smirked. "Who couldn't like an adorable girl like you?"

Elise giggled, before clearing her throat. "Um, I am technically an adult, Corrin. So don't call me cute… too much."

Leo wrinkled his nose in distrust. "She could've at least said goodbye… I wonder if maybe she just felt too guilty or something."

Gunter turned back to the siblings. "Guys. Come on."

All four fell quiet and allowed Xander to finish his speech. "…Glory is a funny thing. Like any idea, it holds different meaning to different people. To me, glory isn't a destination to reach, but a reminder for one to do everything they can for others. To help each other live. And that is how I plan to rule Nohr, by helping my people have a chance at life. Thank you."

The crowd went wild.

Everyone flocked to King Xander during the reception. Corrin watched with approval, while Flora walked up to her. Instead of her maid outfit, she wore a thick fur coat, traditional Ice Tribe garb. "This turned out pretty well. The people love him!"

Corrin smiled. "Yeah, Leo's always told me how people liked Xander. You know, I thought he was the king, the first time he visited the fortress!"

"Hmhmhm! I remember Felicia bringing up something like that."

Then Corrin turned around and noticed Flora's outfit change. "Oh! Wow, that coat looks nice! I bet it's real soft…"

Flora blushed, but kept her smile. "Well, now that Felicia and I are no longer maids, there's no reason to look the part, is there?"

"I guess not. I still can't believe Felicia took Hans' old position. I guess she was just at the right place and time," Corrin said with a shrug. "I'm even more surprised she actually wanted it."

"Well she did always have a knack for combat," Flora reminisced. She frowned. "Corrin, why are you still wearing your Nohr Noble cape? It's tattered. We're not on a battlefield, you should-"

Corrin shook her head. "Flora, come on. I thought you weren't my maid anymore."

"No, but my girlfriend shouldn't look like she just walked in from a battlefield." Her eyes went down. "I gave up on getting you to wear shoes long ago, but the cape's still on the table."

"Okay, I'll get a new cape if you stop looking for the broom every time you see dust on the floor."

"You'll never get a new cape at that rate!" To that, the two shared a laugh. Silas walked up to them.

"Hey guys. The Hoshidan princesses are here. Uh… they're supposed to be, right?"

"Oh! They're here…" Corrin winced and looked at Flora. "I… I'm scared…"

"Corrin, you can't hide from them forever."

"You're right…"

"I'll go with you, how's that?"

"…That would help."

"And I'll go tell Jakob how to have fun! Hey! Jakob!" Silas walked off.

"Leave me alone!" Jakob's voice was audible.

Corrin and Flora joined hands as they made their way across the reception hall to find a kimono-clad Hinoka making small talk with someone else she did not recognize. When the Hoshidan saw Corrin, she cut the conversation short and greeted her. "Oh. Hey… Corrin."

"Hi Hinoka…" Corrin frowned. "I'm... scared to see you, to be honest. I've been a horrible sister."

"Corrin?!" Flora winced at Corrin's bluntness, and how broken her voice sounded.

"Hinoka, nothing I can do will ever change what happened." Surprising both Flora and Hinoka, Corrin bowed as a Hoshidan would, even knowing not to make eye contact. "I'm responsible for so many bad things. So I'm going to work with King Xander in the hopes that maybe I can make up for even a tiny amount of them! M-maybe it'll never work, but I'm going to try! Th-that's the least I owe you!" she choked out.

"…Well… you're not wrong. Even… even if you had good reasons, it's going to be hard to accept you…" Hinoka's words made Corrin shut her eyes in shame. "But…" Hinoka sighed. "Mother did always tell us that it's what we do after our mistakes that say the most about us. So… we'll see how it goes."

"Th-thank you!" Corrin sniffled, but still remained bowed. Hinoka nodded.

"Okay, get up, come on now," she said with some playfulness.

As Corrin rose, she wiped her eyes. "Um… How is Sakura?"

Hinoka gestured over to one corner of the room, where Sakura and Elise were exchanging sweets with one another. The redheaded woman smirked. "She's still hurting, not that she'd tell anyone. But Sakura's strong. She'll make it."

"So you're the queen now, aren't you?" Flora asked. "Any exciting new laws?"

"Exciting? Laws? Heh! You're a nerd," Hinoka teased. "I wasn't really expecting to be Queen, but Yukimura and Rallyman help. Even Azama and Setsuna stepped up! I'll get there, just you watch!"

Corrin nodded. "Well I wish you luck. Whatever that's worth from me."

"…Thanks." Hinoka nodded sincerely and walked off. "Hey, Sakura! I haven't eaten yet, let me see one of those cookies!"

Flora patted Corrin's shoulder. "I think that went well."

"I hope so… I know what Xander told me, and what Mother said… But just because it's the right thing, doesn't mean it didn't hurt."

"The right thing is rarely easy," Kaze said, startling Corrin and Flora with his presence.

"Aaah! Kaze, why?!"

"Sorry. But the banquet's starting soon. You were going to teach me how to use forks and knives, remember?"

"Oh yeah. C'mon Flora, let's teach Kaze about silverware."

"Hmhm. I bet he learns the difference between the different forks faster than you do," Flora teased.

"I bet he doesn't!"

Kaze grinned. "I think I'll be the judge of that."

That night, Corrin found herself resting in a meadow not far outside the castle. The night sky… it looks the same as it did back in the Northern Fortress. Sometimes it's still hard to believe I'm not even in there anymore…

Corrin allowed herself to rest on her back and get a fuller view of the stars. All my life, I've wanted to see Nohr. All the books and the stories my siblings would tell me made it sound like a great place. She frowned. I guess they didn't want to disappoint me… But I think Xander can do it. It won't be too late for Nohr to be the place I've always wanted it to be.

Then Corrin heard sounds of someone walking into the pond nearby. Corrin sat up and saw a familiar dress and long hair in the water. "Wait…" She stood up and scrambled over to the water. "Azura?! Is that you?!"

In the water, the figure turned around. It was indeed Azura. "Hi Corrin."

"Azura! Where were you?! It's been months!"

"Yeah… it has." Azura seemed to be thinking about something, before finally looking Corrin in the eyes. "What do you think my song's about, Corrin?"

"Huh?"

"Lost in Thoughts All Alone. What do you think it's about?"

Corrin furrowed her brow. "Hmm… That's new… Well-"

"Close your eyes and think about it."

"Uh, okay?" The princess shut her eyes. "Well, if I remember the words… I think it's about… making choices? Hard choices… But… even if it's not easy, you have to see it through." She opened her eyes. "Did I get it? …Azura?" Corrin began looking around. But it was no use.

She was gone.

"Family meeting! Family meeting!" Elise ran through the halls, dragging Corrin by the arm.

"Aah! Elise, you're gonna tear my arm off!"

"Run faster, then!"

"Waah!" Elise proved too fast, and Corrin lost her footing. She tripped, and ended up being dragged on the floor behind Elise.

"Hmhmhm. Elise, you're quite strong, aren't you?" Camilla joked.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry Corrin!"

Elise let go of Corrin, allowing her to stand back up. Corrin laughed as she fixed her hair. She noticed Camilla standing beside Elise. "She is, isn't she?"

"Our little Elise is growing up fast, Corrin," Camilla replied.

"HA! I'm the first one at the door, that makes me the best!" Leo's voice taunted. The three sisters looked over to find that Leo was right. The prince stood outside the throne room. "In your faces!"

Elise grinned. "Meanwhile, Leo's regressed into a kid!"

"Oh, let him have his fun. He's always been an old man in a young body, it's good for him to be immature once in a while," Camilla said.

Together, they all entered the throne room, to find Xander gazing at the throne. He turned around. "Oh. You made it. Good."

Xander went back to looking at the throne, inviting the others to do the same. "Things… have been hard, the last few years. And we've all done things we're not proud of." Camilla and Leo nodded, while Elise and Corrin both winced. Xander kept speaking. "But today is a new day. We have an opportunity to make a new Nohr." Then Xander turned, and actually smiled at his siblings. "I want all of us to do our best to preserve this peace. I meant what I said at my coronation."

All eyes remained on Xander, eager to hear his next words, so the king went on. "So for my reign, and if I can help it, my successor's reign and their successor's reign after that, Nohr shall always strive for kindness and respect. And I will count on my family to help." Leo and Camilla both nodded, and Corrin felt Elise's hand in hers. Then it hit her:

Family… We can finally be a family. Corrin beamed.

"You don't even have to ask."

FINAL RESULTS:

Chapter 1 – Pilot – MVP: Corrin

Chapter 2 – Garon Family Happy Hour – MVP: Corrin, Gunter

Chapter 3 – From Nohr, With Love – MVP: Corrin, Gunter

Chapter 4 – Kaze Dies at the End – MVP: Corrin, Rinkah

Chapter 5 – Corrin's First Festival – MVP: Corrin, Kaze

Chapter 6 – Hip to Be Scum – MVP: Jakob, Felicia

Chapter 7 – Bog Standard – MVP: Silas, Effie

Chapter 8 – Cold Feet – MVP: Odin, Felicia

Chapter 9 – Dragonfall Z – MVP: Azura, Nyx

Chapter 10 – Takumi – MVP: Beruka, Selena

Chapter 11 – Rainbow Seven (Fire) – MVP: Flora, Anna

Chapter 12 – Medicine Mayhem (Fire) – MVP: Kaze, Azura

Chapter 13 – Takumi II: Night of Takumi – MVP: Charlotte, Benny

Chapter 14 – A Night at the Opera (Fire) – MVP: Leo, Peri

Chapter 15 – Keep Calm and Buy Revelation – MVP: Gunter

Chapter 16 – A Shurafire Plan – MVP: Silas, Leo

Chapter 17 – Super-Saizo Me – MVP: Corrin, Azura

Chapter 18 – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner – MVP: Keaton, Camilla

Chapter 19 – Fox Hunt – MVP: Xander, Benny

Chapter 20 – Gale Farce – MVP: Corrin, Silas

Chapter 21 – Stairmaster – MVP: Elise, Felicia

Chapter 22 – Sakur-Punch – MVP: Corrin, Arthur

Chapter 23 – Takumi III: The Reckoning – MVP: Corrin, Izana

Chapter 24 – A Lovely Day for an Air Raid – MVP: Camilla, Anna

Chapter 25 – Samurai Vengeance Patrol – MVP: Kaze, Felicia

Chapter 26 – Iago Finally Dies – MVP: Corrin, Xander

Chapter 27 – Maximum Discomfort – MVP: Gunter, Corrin

Endgame – Her Conquest Ends – MVP: Corrin, Kaze

Charlotte – Social Octopus – Ch. 13, 19, 20: Charlotte made a ton of money as the spokeswoman for the Shamwowzer. She would go on to become a renowned pitchwoman.

Benny – Bears Fan – Ch. 13, 19, 20: Benny went to live with the animals in the woods. The whole situation ended up being kind of like a Snow White thing. It was quite a sight.

Peri – Butler Beater – Ch. 12, 14, 20: Peri became a chef at one of Guy Fujito's restaurants. Her cooking would prove superior to Guy's, and she would eventually open her own place.

Keaton – One-Man Wolfpack – Ch. 14, 18, 20: No one was sure if Keaton ever found his way back home or not. He was repeatedly found in Castle Krakenburg, insisting that he had previously left, and was only visiting. No one bought it.

Selena – Ms. Cactus – Ch. 10, 12, 13: Selena went back to her homeland. But her exploits in Nohr spread far and wide, even to Hoshido. She became an icon in Hoshidan media, even inspiring a character archetype.

Nyx – Black Magic Woman – Ch. 9, 10, 11, 16: Nyx kept to herself after the war. Some say she traveled to Hoshido, where no one had even heard of her before. Some say she combined with Erebus to end the world. Don't listen to them.

Beruka – Silent, But Deadly – Ch. 10, 11, 13, 17: Beruka followed Camilla, even after the princess left the castle behind her. It's said that Camilla became the only person she would speak with.

Effie – Get Fit, Then Hit – Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 20: Effie started a new line of workout equipment based on her morning routines. They had to be toned down, as Effie's methods were reckless.

Odin – Mr. Bombastic – Ch. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16: Odin returned to his homeland, but he left Leo with several notes on deadly spells and fearful poses. Leo practiced these when nobody was looking.

Niles – Advisory Warning – Ch. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19: In a twist of fate, Niles outed himself as an artist, using his gift to draw unsavory pictures of Leo and his wife. He was later smacked by his own wife, Camilla.

Laslow – Girl Repellent – Ch. 12, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26: Laslow went back home to visit his family, though he vowed that he would one day return to Nohr and earn Felicia's heart. He won a dance-off while he was gone.

Arthur – Our Hero – Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26: Arthur's habit of letting his bad luck bring good results for others helped smooth over Xander's inheritance of the throne. He would also go down in history as a model citizen in the new regime.

Izana – Deus Ex Machina – Starring Role: Izana was renowned as a hero to Izumites everywhere, but inner guilt led to the Archduke retiring early, and having to party to take his mind off things.

Anna – Random Number Goddess – Starring Role: Anna left as mysteriously as she had arrived. Some say she was looking for the next sale. Some say she was looking for the next game. No one knew for certain.

Kaze – Brother From Another Motherland – Starring Role: Kaze ultimately took Xander's offer to become a retainer, and offered a unique perspective during negotiations. While his reputation back home withered, he was welcomed by Nohr.

Silas – Cowlick Captain – Starring Role: Silas worked hard and eventually became the captain of the guards. He grew wiser with age, otherwise this wouldn't have happened. His parents certainly appreciated the extra notoriety.

Gunter – Fossilized Fury – Starring Role: Gunter eventually grew too old to serve under Lady Corrin, and retired with her blessing. He would still receive visits from his former charges, and enjoy them, even if he didn't admit it.

Jakob – Karate Butler – Starring Role: Jakob served his lady for the rest of his life. His presence in Castle Krakenburg led to a change in butlery as Nohr knew it, thanks to Jakob's published training manual for excellent service.

Felicia – Generally Competent – Starring Role: Felicia enjoyed her new job as Nohr's foremost general. She proved very Jakob-like when it came to training the soldiers in physical fitness.

Flora – Ms. Blizzard – Starring Role: Flora stayed with Corrin, rather than returning to her tribe. The two old friends were happy together, though Flora would still catch herself cleaning up messes when she didn't need to.

Elise – Actual Cinnamon Roll – Starring Roll: Elise took her brother's new ideals to heart and traveled the world, making people happier in her usual Elise ways.

Leo – Book Bro – Starring Role: Leo jumped at the chance to assist Corrin with diplomatic visits to Hoshido. The experience proved humbling, but Leo did enjoy chatting with Princess Sakura.

Camilla – Dragon Dame – Starring Role: Camilla adopted several orphaned children, much more than recommended. Every orphaned Windmire child would know love and free wyvern rides.

Xander – Siegking – Starring Role: King Xander was seen as a welcome change from Garon's reign. As time went on, he finally found a true hobby outside of patriotism.

Azura – Missing Maiden – Starring Role: Azura was lost to history, to the chagrin of her families on both sides of the border. Sometimes they could be heard humming her song to themselves, whenever they felt lonely.

Corrin – Peacemaker – Starring Role: Princess Corrin spent a good deal of her life atoning for her actions in the war. At other times, she enjoyed her life, beside Flora and all her siblings, just as she'd always dreamed.

The End.