Crown of Ruin
Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.
Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.
Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon, Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added
Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)
Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst
Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC
This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts. Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life. Enjoy! I'm putting a minor warning here about the content of Bayonetta's flashback that is written first. It's not really for the faint heart given the subject matter. If you're grossed out, you might want to skip the scene, but otherwise, continue on.
Chapter 14: Memories of the Hunt
The further Bayonetta ventured into her memories, the more awful the memories became. This time, the memories that were playing in her mind concerned the time she and her friends were captured and tortured by the inquisitors during the witch hunt. Her capture could have been avoided if she summoned Madama Butterfly to handle the inquisitors. The Umbra Witch froze up during the summoning process though. She recalled how Madama Butterfly had every intention of killing her seeing as how the raven haired witch was weak. Even if she needed to risk it, Bayonetta just couldn't do it in fear that Madama Butterfly would make things worse. As a result, her friends were being defeated by the inquisitors one by one until they came to her. Bayonetta hated how she froze up in that moment. Compared to her friends who put up a fight, Bayonetta was easily disarmed. The inquisitors realized who she was and gave orders to not hurt her in comparison to her other friends. Compared to them, she was more important in the Umbran Clan. She was seen as the best friend of Jeanne who was considered the next heir. If they wanted to be at an advantage, they needed to make sure her friend was alive when they started negotiating with them.
"Now, be a good little girl and come with us." The inquisitor said in a mocking tone.
Bayonetta hated this so much. She was great in combat, but when the inquisitors came knocking at their door with the very real idea that they would massacre them, she just couldn't protect her friends or herself. She would have to carry that L with her always and would forever be seen as a coward (but this was under the assumption everyone survived).
Bayonetta and her friends were taken a prison in Nohr. It wasn't your usual prison. It was a prison underneath the church a little ways outside of Nohr territory. This was specifically used by the inquisitors as there had been some problems going on in Nohr that prevented them from setting a church up with a prison underneath. Garon was a jerk ruler, but apparently he took offense to whatever they did underneath the prison for whatever reason. The inquisitors were terrible individuals in Bayonetta's mind. Even before the witch hunt, there had been rumors that they had kidnapped witches and done unimaginable things to them. It was why witches were told to stay clear from the inquisitors. Metallia obviously paid no heed seeing as how she befriended one of them, but that friendship did not save her from being captured.
Bayonetta, Selene, Sabina, Metallia and Malia were all captured and thrown into different cells. Before they were thrown in, they all had an anti-magic collar created by the inquisition slapped around their neck. There was no way for them to use any magic of any sort. Bayonetta was lucky to be thrown into the same cell as Selene and Sabina. Metalia was placed in the cell opposite of Bayonetta and her mother was in the cell to the right of the raven haired witch. There had to be a reason for this particular grouping.
Sabina would not stop crying after being captured. They handled her roughly and she was certain they broke her arm. On further inspection, she wasn't injured too much and was just overreacting. Regardless, Selene was trying to get her to stop crying in order to not draw attention to their cell. Bayonetta played with her collar abet annoyed at how tightly it was around her. She looked up to see Metallia trying to kick down the bars of her cell down and was getting more frustrated when she wasn't able to do so.
"GOD DAMMIT!" She cursed as she stopped kicking the bar. "WHY CAN'T THESE BREAK?"
"You're not physically strong enough to do so." Malia told her causing Metallia to snarl at her.
"Oh shut up, you bitch! You and that half-breed are the reason we all got caught!"
Bayonetta flinched at the accusation. Malia was far from pleased.
"Are you serious?" Malia hissed. "You know full well this happened because of you!"
"My fault?! You're supposed to be one of the strongest witches in the clan! How do you lose like that?!"
"You couldn't even protect yourself! You're just as powerful as me and you had the home free advantage in the swamp region! Do not tell me that you didn't know my powers are reduced in half in your damn region!"
Metallia wanted to bark back so badly, but Selene begged her to stop fighting. She hissed because she knew that another reason her mother hated her was because of having powers that nullified her own. The forest cannot live in a toxic area and having a daughter who shot toxic fumes only made things more difficult for her. Because Metallia stopped shouting, she would be forced to hear Sabina sob even more and hear Sabina hating herself for being a useless witch. Bayonetta wanted to say something, but the minute she heard footsteps, she decided to keep her opinion to herself. This was probably a good thing given how Metallia's temper would flare up the minute she saw who was walking with the inquisitor.
"BELDA, YOU TRAITOR!" Metallia screamed. "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR UGLY FACE HERE!"
Belda was the last person Bayonetta or anyone would have expected to betray the witch clan. Belda was a youthful witch with brown hair and brown eyes. She dressed up as a stereotypical witch with a black robe and a witch hat, and also wore glasses to give the impression that she was full of wisdom. On the surface, she appeared shy and weak but wanted to help others in their witch training. The witch in front of them now was a cruel, manipulative woman who was only out for herself.
"They don't call me the Scum Witch for nothing." Belda retorted with a sinister smile. "You look good in a cage. All of you do."
As Metallia continued to curse her out, Bayonetta watched the inquisitor she was with. She shivered when he looked toward the cell she was being held in. His small eyes scanned her body from head to toe. It caused her to cover her chest seeing as he was looking there.
"Really, why would I be with a clan that is going to be wiped out soon?" Belda hummed. "There's no problem jumping ship and siding with the winning side? I think the Umbran Elder is foolish to think that Jeanne will save us all."
"She will…" Bayonetta mumbled. "She's the strongest of all of us…"
Belda heard what the raven haired witch said and laughed. "You will be her downfall. Jeanne cares for a half-breed like you too much."
Bayonetta responded by glaring weakly at her. She believed Jeanne would not put her life over hers if the situation called for it. Right now, things were looking bad, but she believed that if they played the prisoner roll, nothing worse could happen.
She was wrong. Dead wrong.
Her memories started to become a blur again at what exactly happened. She could hear Malia lecture Belda about thinking short term over long term and treating her like a spoiled child. She recalled Belda snapping at her and how Malia deserved to be punished for being the witch everyone liked and went to her for everything. Her vision was black at what transpired next.
Belda had dragged Malia out of the cell she was in and ordered the guards and Totopepe to beat her up. The screaming and shouting from the other captives became apparent. In comparison to the other witches who demanded that Belda stop them, Bayonetta had covered her ears to not hear Malia's pained cries. Even with her ears covered, she could hear the sound of bones breaking. Looking at her, she could see Malia cough up blood once she was kicked enough times in the stomach.
And then her memories became completely distorted when Belia cast a wicked spell to turn Malia into a mouse after she was done tormenting her. What she did next was unforgettable. Bayonetta had tried her best to filter this portion of her memory but it was too gruesome to ignore. Belda had summoned a pack of horny male mice to rape Malia while she was a small mouse. She could never forget the screams that everyone had, the tears everyone shed or how even Metallia was disturbed by Belda's cruelty.
"YOU MONSTER! YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Metallia howled as she desperately tried to knock the cell bars down.
Belda found this action amusing as did Totopepe.
"Ha ha…you're funny Metallia. You're in rage for what I did to your mother, but this very scenario is what you wanted to happen to Malia from the very beginning."
Bayonetta honestly wanted to throw up at what Belda just said about Metallia. There was no way her friend was this cruel! Yes, Metallia had a short temper and told people to go kill themselves when she was angry, but there was no way she wished beastality on her mother just because Malia didn't show her enough affection.
"The projection is strong here." Bayonetta hissed toward Belda who stopped laughing to see the sexy witch giving her the best glare she could muster. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you hated Malia for how popular she was. She did rat you out when you tried to romance someone behind the Umbran Elder's back."
"Silence, you bitch." Belda snarled as a response.
"I mean, yeah…the man you were interested in was hot, but he was too busy romancing someone else to care about you."
Bayonetta really should have kept her mouth shut. She knew she was next if she continued to stand up for Metallia. Belda was not having any of it. Metallia let out a horrible cry when Belda took something out from underneath her robe.
"Do you see what this is? Of course Lea recognizes it. This is her journal. In this journal are her true thoughts and feelings of others." Belda hummed when she said this. "There is hardly anything positive that is written in here. All that is here is a list of horrible things Lea wants done to the people she knows in her life."
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Metallia cursed as she lashed out in the cell she was in. She was a fool to think that she would be able to break down the bars in order to retrieve the journal. "GIVE IT BACK!"
"No can do. Besides, I already read it." Belda reminded her with a laugh. "Everything I did to your mother was what you had written in here."
Bayonetta could not believe it. Even if Belda did open the journal to that page and said the most horrifying things about Malia, she would continue to trust the Swamp Witch. Her trust faltered though when Belda decided to talk about Metallia's true feelings about the raven haired witch.
"Lea, why do you look so scared when I said I was going to talk about Cereza?" Belda asked as she turned to a specific page in Metallia's journal. "If everything written here are lies, why do you look ready to cry?"
"I'll fucking kill you when I get out of here!" Metallia howled as she started shaking the bars of the jail cell she was in. "Just you wait!"
Belda hummed as she started reciting Metallia's hateful words that were directed toward Bayonetta. This part of her memory was very hazy and Bayonetta knew why. There were some things Metallia had thought about her that nearly caused her to meltdown.
"Cereza is so lucky. She's a half-breed but gets special treatment from everyone all because she sucked up to the old hag's daughter! Jeanne is my friend too, but Cereza can never be away from Jeanne for long! Uh, her co-dependency is disgusting. I bet if Selene's fortune was true, then I would have Jeanne to myself. You know what? I wish that fortune was true! Then that whore can go get fucked! Compared to the rest of us, all that bitch has is her sexy looks and her glamorous body! No one would be able to resist her! Heh…maybe I should find a spell that attracts men to her. They would never be able to leave her alone and would stalk her every night. That half-breed isn't strong enough to resist them either. She would be easy picking. I know how much of a crybaby Cereza is. They would so turned on by a strong looking woman being brought to tears that they would kidnap her and no one would care if she vanished. I wouldn't care! Just knock the fucking bitch up! I would love to see the face she makes when she gets a dick shoved up her vagina! She's one of those stupid types who thinks that the first time is sooooo sacred and important! We're witches! Who gives a fuck! Just get fucked and get pregnant! You'll be doing us all a favor if you do!"
Belda's mere existence was causing Bayonetta's mind to start shut down. There was static, there was blackness and it was becoming difficult to focus. Bayonetta thought she was suffocating. Red lines were starting to cover her vision as she begged Belda to stop talking. Belda said a few more things specifically about what Metallia wanted to happen to Bayonetta in complete detail. It was one thing to wish misfortune on someone, but Metallia had a sick fantasy of what she wanted to happen to Bayonetta should she actually be kidnapped and raped. At this point, people were screaming how it was all a lie. What was the lie though? The words Metallia wrote down or Metallia being a good friend? Bayonetta heard someone sobbing. Was that her or was that Metallia? She didn't know. Everything was just fading to black as something reached out to her and…
"Bayonetta, are you listening to me? Earth to Bayonetta!"
Bayonetta gasped as she returned to reality. She did not realize that she zoned out in the middle of a conversation. She had returned from her secret base and had gone straight to the room she was allowed to stay in. Bayonetta was going to take a nap until dinner, but Corrin had come into her room with the intention of talking to her about setting boundaries about the pact seeing as how she wasn't exactly thrilled with how the pact would work. Corrin was taught early on to respect a lady. If Corrin were to romance a woman, he would have to compromise with her. Orochi joked how women were delicate creatures and needed a man capable of understanding them. If a man failed to do something as basic as respect a woman's boundaries, then he didn't deserve a woman at all. The pact forced him and Bayonetta into a relationship of some sorts and if they talk about it now, then they won't have problems later.
"Bayonetta, are you okay?" Corrin asked her once she got your attention. "You look really pale."
"…I'm fine dear. The pact made me tired."
Bayonetta was telling a half-truth. The pact did exhaust her, but she didn't want to admit that she let her past get the best of her and her mind wandered to that horrible time period eighteen years ago. The past wasn't nice to her. Anankos' words about Metallia not being a nice person ended up being true to an extent. Bayonetta knew the type of person the Swamp Witch is. That journal was filled with nothing but lies that Belda made to break the raven haired witch. Metallia wasn't evil…
"Bayonetta…did you hear anything I said at all?" Corrin asked reluctantly.
"Sorry, it must not have been interesting for me to listen." The Umbra Witch replied coldly.
Corrin shook his head as a response. "I guess the pact won't really matter after all."
"Hmm?"
"Well, if you don't want to talk about the pact, then you'll be willing to listen to the other topic I brought up…"
"Which is?"
"I was hoping if you knew someone or had something that could help look into any past events…"
Bayonetta had to admit that was a rather interesting topic. "Go on."
"Well…besides returning to Izumo and asking Izana about what he uncovered during his investigation, I considered the possibility that if evidence lead to someone like Macbeth being the killer, it would be best to have an item that showed the last moments of my mother's death. It would resolve everything more easily than pointing the finger I admit…" Corrin wasn't really happened thinking about Mikoto's death and for good reasons. "I haven't done much in terms of my own investigation. I've been learning more about myself if anything ever since her death…"
"…There was someone I knew who could look into someone's past…" Bayonetta began.
"Really?!"
"…Yeah…but she's been dead for eighteen years. She was a victim of the witch hunt…"
Corrin cursed to himself for letting his hopes get high before Bayonetta was even finished speaking.
"Still…I think her items are still scattered around the forest area." The Umbra Witch continued. "Selene…thought ahead when we were attacked. She didn't want this specific item in the enemy hands. She didn't want anyone using this as a way of getting back at people as she would say, so she took her crystal ball and shattered it into little pieces…"
"That's…"
"Eighteen years…one would think those shards were gone forever…but Selene was a powerful witch…so I don't think those shards are actually gone…"
"You mean…"
"Yes…if I can remember what my friend told me, I think I would be able to put these shards back together and form the original item that she had."
This was a huge if on Bayonetta's part. She was banking on the items still being usable even if she were to find them. Whenever Selene forced her group of friends to play with her, she would tell them where exactly certain items were making it easier for them. Granted, Metallia never seemed to be able to find anything no matter what Selene said, so many items were lost forever because of this. However, when it came to her weapons she used in combat, she specifically told Bayonetta the locations based on landmarks instead of actual locations in order to avoid the enemy from figuring out what she was talking about.
"Umm…where are these items exactly?" Corrin asked suspiciously.
"What? You aren't venturing outside of Valla to look for something that might no longer exist…right?"
"…Anything to find my mother's killer. I think I wasted enough time here doing nothing but hiding out and waiting for everything to calm down. I need to be more proactive in this search…or the killer might slip away…or worse…Macbeth will find someone like Cloud and pin him as the killer."
Bayonetta was well aware that the evil tactician would do that. He wanted Cloud dead, and the best way would be to frame him. Until he had that damning evidence, Cloud would be safe.
"…I feel like you're grasping at straws. It was a suggestion, but I don't think that my friend was dumb enough to keep the items intact…"
"It doesn't matter. Even if there is a one percent chance we'll find the item, it's worth the shot."
"…You'll have to fight some monsters that are outside of Valla." The raven haired witch stated. "Your training will be put to the test. Now Volga and Cloud have both stated that you have improved a lot in such a short amount of time, but this is actual fighting where you're going to have to kill something to survive. Are you okay with that?"
Corrin hesitated to speak. He didn't consider the monsters that were in the area. The soldiers on patrol tended to deal with them unless something serious was going on. That was when royals stepped in to finish the job. His hands were starting to shake, but the dragon prince took this as a sign that he was excited rather than nervous.
"I am prepared for that." The Izumo prince answered. "If you're worried that I won't protect you, don't worry! I will protect you from the demons while you search for the shards!"
"Who said I was going to get my hands dirty for…" Bayonetta stopped speaking when she realized that there was no way out of this. She brought this on herself. The least she could do was humor Corrin a little bit and participate. If she did find the items that belonged to Selene, then it would give her leverage in combat should she find a way to repair them. "…Alright. You win. I'll help you out. But do not expect me to help you should a demon show up. You can handle yourself."
Corrin was actually getting excited now. He was finally able to do something without being told to stay back and let others handle it. Corrin could finally be useful to someone. Bayonetta would not admit it, but her expectations were raised concerning the idea of finding something else besides Selene's lost items. They would need to hurry up and do this. It was almost dinner time and they would need to be back before anyone noticed they were gone. The last thing Bayonetta wanted was for Cloud to notice that they went off item hunting without him to guard them. The Umbra Witch was going to allow the blond to have his nap. He needed to save his strength.
…But if anything the prince can't handle shows up…I might have to fight. I hope it does not come down to that.
So Bayonetta wasn't completely telling the truth. She did have at least one item from Selene that she had kept with her. The item was called the Summoning Gate and it allowed the Umbra Witch to summon anything from any time period…well…that was what it was supposed to do. Bayonetta wasn't Selene and didn't know how to use it properly, so what she ended up doing with the Summoning Gate was use it to create portals to any location on the Invisible Continent. She could only create portals to places she has been to hence why she hasn't been able to create a portal on the Outer Continent.
There was another weapon that belonged to Selene that was in Bayonetta's possession. It was called the Guardian's Scepter and this was the item that was used offensively and defensively. Bayonetta didn't use this as a weapon though. She kept it as a remembrance of her fallen friend. On closer inspection of the scepter, one could see that there used to be a crystal ball in the center of the staff. That is the same crystal ball Selene used to do her fortune telling with. That crystal ball could also look into the past and use the information given from the crystal ball to be used offensively. Bayonetta recalled how that crystal ball was shattered so the enemy wouldn't claim the scepter. If she could find these shards, she might be able to fix the crystal ball and recreate the moment of Mikoto's death.
From what Bayonetta would remember Selene had shattered the crystal ball in the swamp location. The goal was for the hope that the swamp would swallow up the shards and never be seen again. Selene didn't have the best luck though, so chances were that the shards were still in the swamp region.
Corrin didn't know what to expect following Bayonetta to this region of the Invisible Continent. He wasn't allowed to leave Izumo without someone like Gunter escorting him around, and when he was allowed to leave, it was for important task only. Corrin could only travel to Hoshido and Nohr to visit his siblings on important days. The only time Corrin could venture outside was when he was searching for herbs to make the medicines he was known for.
The swamp region was notorious for being the region everyone avoided due to the awful stench that could kill a normal human if they stayed in the area too long. Bayonetta remembered how it was worse when Metallia was still alive. As the Swamp Witch, she thrived on gooey waters and dead wastelands. Metallia actually could not leave the swamp region and if she were to venture far away from it, she would need an item that kept her magic level high. Without the swamp, Metallia would die from the lack of magic. Not all witches were like this though, but they needed magic to be able to function properly and defend themselves, and her magic could be maintained by doing normal human things like eating and sleeping.
With Metallia dead, the swamp was easily accessible even to humans. However, the bad smell still resided in the air and the area was still a barren wasteland. Bayonetta would think that because the swamp water was no longer elevated that it would be easy to find the shards of the crystal ball. Bayonetta was aware that Selene used special materials to make her crystal ball, and the only reason it was a good idea to venture at night to search for it was because of how the shards were said to have sparkled in the moonlight. The moon was up in the sky giving light to the dragon prince and the Umbra Witch.
Bayonetta was disappointed that the shards were not in plain sight. However, the shards were together in one place…
"…Bayonetta…what is that?"
The shards were eaten by a swamp monster that roamed the area. It looked like a demon from hell more than anything with the color scheme, but it was clearly a weak frog like monster that ruled the area now that the Queen of the Swamp was long since dead.
"It's the monster that ate the items I need." Bayonetta answered as she went over to a nearby tree to rest her back against it. "You can handle it."
"Wait…what?"
"I asked if you were prepared to test your training on a monster and not a training partner. You can handle this thing on your own. It doesn't like water attacks."
"Y-Yes but…"
"I'll be waiting right here if you need me."
Even if she said that, she had no intention of lifting a finger. Corrin sighed as he stared at the swamp monster in front of him. His legs were trembling slightly. This thing was huge, but Bayonetta made it seem like it wasn't a hard monster to fight. If it was weak against water, then he should have the advantage…except Corrin had no idea how exactly to shoot water in dragon form at will. When he was training with Volga, he learned how to turn his hands and feet into spears, but he had yet to figure out how to turn his hand into a dragon mouth that could shoot water out of said mouth. Because this process was too tedious for him, he decided to just use the dragonstone to turn his entire body into a dragon instead of parts of his body. Volga had joked he would find use for half-transformations in the near future.
At least the thing hasn't spotted me yet. Corrin thought to himself as he observed where the swamp monster was looking and how far he could be from him before he was detected. Since I don't want to waste too much time, I should get rid of it before it discovers I am here to kill it.
Walking in the water was a great way to be detected. Corrin had no other way to approach though besides trying to go around when the swamp monster wasn't looking his direction. Bayonetta found it hilarious how Corrin assumed it was a sound based monster, when it was clearly a vision based one. Corrin would be able to walk in the water and kill it in one hit and it wouldn't be able to notice until it got back attacked.
It took Corrin some time to walk around it without stepping in too much swamp water. At times like this, Corrin wished he wore shoes. It was gross to be walking barefoot in the icky water. He would need to bathe himself when this was all said and done.
He positioned himself in a way to where his spear hand would be able to poke the frog demon before transforming his hand into a spear and impaling it in the back. The frog demon let out a startled croaked as it tried to hop away. Corrin was taken for a ride as he could not get his spear out of the demon in time. The silver haired prince yelped as he was forced to ride the frog while it was a state of panic. He had Yatogami in the other hand and ended up impaled the frog in the back. If the frog demon could see what was attacking it, then it would have no problem counterattacking. The swamp water wasn't deep, so it couldn't jump in the water for protection. Corrin used this opportunity to take his spear out…only to impale it again. The dragon prince had no problem scaling the demon before him.
The frog was in such a state of panic that it started hopping in Bayonetta's direction. Corrin knew he had to kill the frog quickly before it trampled her. Not like it should have been a problem. This was Bayonetta and she was capable of handling herself.
"Oh, you want to play?" She asked rather annoyed that Corrin didn't kill the thing quickly enough. "You should hop the other way. I don't play nice with ugly things."
After impaling it the fifth time, Corrin finally took his Yatogami and jabbed the frog demon in between its eye sockets. The dragon prince was surprised with his violent actions, but then he had to remember that he had witnessed his potential step siblings fight demons like these gruesomely and how he should have no mercy fighting them even when he was better off as a healer. The killing was for a friend after all…
Corrin let out a sigh of relief as he took down the gooey swamp monster before it even had a chance to touch the Umbra Witch. He looked at her to see the unreadable expression she wore. Did she freeze up when the swamp monster turned its attention to her or was he just imagining it? Instead of picking up the pieces that Bayonetta would need, he ended up approaching her and asking her questions that could get him slapped.
"Bayonetta, why didn't you help me fight the monster? You know it had something you needed, but forced me to do all the work."
"Do you expect a lady to do a man's job?" She asked in a teasing tone.
"N-No…not really…I mean…I usually had Gunter and Flora do all the fighting for me and…"
"You're spoiled, boy." The raven haired witch interrupted him mid-sentence. "Do not expect people to do the work for you."
"Uhh…but you just…"
"I'll pick up the pieces that were inside the monster at least. I don't want you touching it."
"…Lazy…" Corrin murmured under his breath as the Umbra Witch walked over to the swampy area to pick it up.
Bayonetta wished she didn't have to get her outfit dirty, but she would simply take a bath after she was done fixing the crystal ball.
As she picked up the few large shards around her, she paused feeling something ominous in the air. Corrin didn't seem to notice that there was something wrong and continued to complain under his breath.
"Corrin, we leave immediately." Bayonetta told him as she picked up all the shards she needed and put them away in her hair. Corrin was amazed that Bayonetta could use her hair as an item pouch of some sorts.
"Huh? Why? Is the scent here that bad?"
Before Bayonetta can explain to Corrin what was going on, an arrow soared through the air and almost hit the dragon prince had the Umbra Witch not stepped in and took the arrow to the shoulder. She let out a pained cry as she looked before her.
"…Hoshido soldiers…" She hissed.
"W-What?!"
"We were being spied on…and of course I'm too slow to stop the arrow. I won't the next time around."
Corrin was confused by this. She ordered the dragon prince to get on the ground. Corrin was lucky he was out of the swamp when he ducked. He would only have to worry about his armor getting dirty. Another arrow was shot in Bayonetta's direction and this time, she dodged it at the last moment causing time to slow down around her. She snarled as she took out her worn down handguns that she was hiding under her sleeves and fired magical bullets at it. The arrow was split in half due to the bullet and hit whoever fired the arrow in the forest. Once time returned to normal, a Hoshidan soldier let out a horrified scream as the bullet pierced his chest. It surprised the other soldiers who thought they had the upper hand.
"It's rude to stalk a lady." Bayonetta hummed as she had every intention of charging into the forest to deal with the Hoshidan soldiers who were in a state of panic. Corrin stopped her though.
"D-Don't kill them! They'll assume the worst!"
"Boy, they already think I'm with Cloud, so it won't matter if I kill a few of them."
The Hoshidan soldiers decided to reveal themselves after their comrade had fallen. They were carrying katanas, naginatas and two more were archers. Bayonetta noted how they all had a purple color on their weapon.
"…Poison weapons…" She murmured as she felt her body start to become cold. "…I guess I'm already poisoned…"
"There she is! Get her!"
Corrin wanted to stand up and order the soldiers to stand down, but he would be frozen in time when another arrow was sent Bayonetta's way. She froze time again and charged toward the soldiers. Once she counted that there were six Hoshido soldiers, she made quick work of them and their weapons. Again, she shot the arrow and hit the soldier who fired it square in the forehead this time. She shot at the other archer and did the same thing. Bayonetta would then go toward the naginata users and simply ripped the blade portion off the e-bu. The blade portion was covered with poison so she couldn't touch it. Instead, she just shot the guy in the stomach and called it a day. Before time returned to normal, she shot the other naginata user in the neck.
Once time returned to normal, blood spilled everywhere on the ground and the Hoshidan soldiers screamed in horror at more comrades falling to the ground and not standing up.
"Y-You bitch! What did you do to them?!"
Bayonetta responded with a smirk. There were only two soldiers left. They both intended to charge her. She did stop time again, but this time, she transformed into a group of bats that ended up flying up behind the remaining two soldiers. She hummed as she kicked one of the soldiers down and then shot her magic bullets in a way that it was in the shape of a heart. The bullets would hit the chest area where the heart was bumping, so when time returned to normal, the man's blood splattered in the shape of a heart. The guy on the ground tried to get up but Bayonetta stepped on his back with an amused expression.
"You Hoshidans need to realize that you simply cannot fuck with a witch." She taunted as she pointed her handgun in his face. "I hope my demon companions are happy with the sacrifice."
The soldier didn't even get to ask what she was talking about as she shot him in the face. Bayonetta sighed that she had to resort to murder despite Corrin saying otherwise.
The prince was scared at what just happened. One moment, Bayonetta was right next to him. The next, she was next to the soldiers who were dead from whatever spell she used. He blinked one more time and she finished killing the soldiers that attacked them. However, now that there were no more enemies, she fell to her knees while clutching her injured shoulder.
"Damn…this poison is stronger than I thought…" She murmured darkly.
"Bayonetta!"
Corrin stood up and rushed toward the Umbra Witch's side. She wanted to slap his hand away, but when he approached her, he knew what was wrong.
"Don't move…this arrow will…"
"No worries…I can remove it." Bayonetta reassured him as she forcibly removed the arrow from her shoulder. She hissed in pain as she threw the arrow down to the ground. "I can't believe I could still shoot with an arrow like that in me."
"Don't move, Bayonetta! You're injured!"
"I can see that…"
"If you see that, then stop making it worse!" The dragon prince snapped as he noticed she was trying to stand up. "Wait, I'm going to take us back to Valla. I'm certain there is medicine there to treat the poison."
"Don't return to Valla, you fool…"
"Huh? Why not? You're injured!"
"Did you not see the soldiers I just killed? There may be more. If you take me back to Valla, they might follow us and bring in reinforcements. Use your head, kid…"
Corrin didn't think about the consequences of transporting her to Valla. He was more concerned with saving her life. She was right though. He needed to stay away from Valla until he was certain there were no more soldiers in the area. It meant he would have to find a cave of sorts and hide her. He sighed as he transformed into a dragon and slowly lifted her on his back. She was still able to move, so it wasn't a painful process.
"HANG ON TIGHT. I WILL GET YOU TO A SAFE PLACE AND TAKE CARE OF YOU."
Bayonetta rolled her eyes at Corrin speaking in dragon form. He needed to keep his voice down if he didn't want to alert anyone. The Umbra Witch also knew she had to conserve her strength and just held onto his neck. She failed to realize the blush threatening to creep up as a result of it.
Corrin's luck favored him for once. He was able to find a cave outside of the swamp area that would bide him some time. After looking behind him to see if there weren't any soldiers following him, Corrin shifted back into his human form and placed Bayonetta close to the wall. He wore a grim expression seeing the Umbra Witch become paler by the minute. She was fighting back against the poison very well, but Corrin didn't like the type of poison that was used.
I know in Hoshido there are weapons catered to specific races on this continent. Corrin thought to himself as he got his staff out. He attempted to remove the poison this way. Why is there a weapon catered to killing witches though? If the witch tribe was wiped out eighteen years ago, why would there even be a need for a witch hunter weapon? Where would they get it and how did they know Bayonetta was even here? Did someone direct them here…could it be Macbeth? No…it couldn't be…
The Izumo prince noticed how Bayonetta was shuffling slightly when he was trying to heal her. He shook his head in annoyance. "Stay still. You're not well enough to be moving around."
"…How dreadful…" Bayonetta murmured as a response. "I didn't think I was this…rusty…"
"It's not your fault. There shouldn't be any witch hunter weapons left if you're the last surviving witch." Corrin told her. "There shouldn't be any poison directly aimed at witches either…"
Bayonetta chuckled nervously as she started to shiver. The poison was working too fast and Corrin's normal healing ability wasn't going to cut it. He cursed to himself how he didn't have time to go outside and look for herbs that could cure the poison. There weren't that many options left.
Wait…what if…
Corrin gulped realizing what he was thinking. He had no choice though in the matter. First, he placed his staff aside before suddenly grabbing at the Umbra Witch.
"W-What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry Bayonetta, but I'm going to need you to strip… and I know you don't have the strength to do so…"
Bayonetta did not react well to that. Corrin would have laughed how much strength she regained when the dragon prince tried to remove her suit. She could easily use whatever magic she had to remove it, but Corrin knew she needed to conserve her strength. As a result, he had no problem ripping off the upper portion of her outfit. Her expression darkened at this action.
"You have five seconds…to explain yourself…"
"Save your strength." Corrin told her as a response. "I need to remove the poison from your body now and my normal magic is not cutting it. None of the spells I have will help you, so I'm going to test Azura's theory about combining the power of the pact with my abilities as an Invisible Dragon."
Bayonetta was not aware of Corrin speaking to Azura about the creative ways he could heal people. If there was an opportunity, it might have been when the Umbra Witch zoned out when she was remembering her past. Even if she protested, she knew she didn't have the strength to resist. It was best to let Corrin do what he wanted instead of fight back and have the poison spread through her body faster. She wanted to live long enough to get off this horrible continent.
"Make it fast…"
Corrin had every intention of healing her quickly. Bayonetta was shot in the shoulder opposite of where the pact mark was, so that was where Corrin mainly tore off the suit. He tried his best to avoid looking at her somewhat exposed cleavage and placed his hand where the poison arrow impaled her. The Umbra Witch hissed at the sudden pain in her shoulder.
The question is how do I activate the pact with Bayonetta…I know Father said the more sexualized the interaction was, the more powerful the pact…but I don't know how to do that without getting poisoned…I mean…if my species is about healing people and not worrying about sickness…then I should be fine in doing this…but…
Corrin blushed at the idea he had. He murmured a small apology before suddenly biting at her shoulder. She yelped as she tried to move away.
"C-Corrin?! W-What are you…"
It was obvious what he was doing. Corrin knew it was a bad idea to risk removing the poison via the mouth and then applying a healing spell. This was a health hazard that could not only poison the person that was attempting to remove the poison, but it also didn't guarantee that the person who was poisoned would be saved. Regular healing spells weren't working, and Corrin was betting his dragon genes that the poison would not even be remotely dangerous to him as a species in comparison to Bayonetta. It was just a huge gamble, but Corrin didn't have time to think of the consequences. He needed to activate the pact for that strong healing boost now!
Bayonetta attempted to push Corrin back despite his actions. Corrin would suck enough blood from her shoulder before spitting it out. He ordered her not to move so he wouldn't bite her in areas where he had no business to bite. The Umbra Witch called him out on his unconventional way of removing the poison before being forced to hold her tongue. Corrin's body was starting to glow with his actions, and her body started to glow as well. The dragon prince kept his hand on the Umbra Witch so whatever magic the pact was giving him would flow into her body. With every bite, Bayonetta ended up gasping. Corrin thought it was because of the pain, but it was clearly from something else he didn't want to acknowledge.
Once Corrin was certain he sucked enough of the poison out, he quickly grabbed his staff and placed it where the wound was. It was his turn to let out a surprised gasp feeling his entire body become hot upon his staff making contact with the Umbra Witch. He couldn't see the symbol on his pact was glowing as he rid the rest of the poison from Bayonetta's body. The raven haired witch was trying to hide the blush that was on her face. Corrin didn't seem to realize that the light that was engulfing her was causing her to react badly. Because Corrin was sitting in between her legs, it was difficult for Bayonetta to move her legs. She wanted to close her legs up, so Corrin wouldn't start noticing something was wrong with her. Corrin did notice though. By the time he finished hearing her, he was certain he heard an orgasmic cry from her.
…Why is the pact like this? Corrin asked himself. I just wanted to save Bayonetta's life…not…
"…Of all the ways to heal me…you went for the kinky way…" The Umbra Witch hissed. She was doing her best to catch her breath after the rush she was feeling. Corrin moved off of her, so she would be able to move her body. The first thing she did was use her arm to cover half of her face. She then closed her legs. "As much as I enjoy a rush…this is not the time…"
"…Sorry…" Corrin mumbled. "At least I know the pact works…are you feeling better…in terms of the poison. You feel your energy coming back?"
"As a matter of fact…"
Bayonetta didn't need to finish her sentence. She knew the answer. Corrin's healing magic worked wonders. The poison specifically meant to kill her was removed. There didn't seem to be any signs that Corrin was poisoned as a result of sucking the poison out. It was still the unconventional way to heal…ever…
"I never felt better. Just don't use methods like that on me again…"
The Umbra Witch felt her magic returning to her quickly. She could easily use her magic to have her hair cover the parts of her suit that was ripped off. She fixed her outfit up immediately before standing up.
"I'm really sorry…we're not used to how the pact works so…"
Bayonetta ignored him after the first apology. He didn't need to apologize again when he needed to heal her as soon as possible. The older woman decided to look around the cave to get an idea where they were hiding. She wasn't all that pleased.
"…Another cave where I used to play as a kid…" She murmured darkly.
"R-Really?" Corrin asked. "I mean…"
Bayonetta debated on whether to venture further into the cave or not. On one hand, she felt like there was nothing in the cave she could use. On the other hand, she wanted to confirm something about this cave that was near the Swamp Region that Metallia controlled.
"Bayonetta?"
The Umbra Witch ventured ahead forcing the dragon prince to chase after her and shouting how she shouldn't be moving around.
The further they went into the cave, the more Bayonetta realized how bad this cave was for a hiding spot. Compared to the secret base she had with Jeanne, anyone could have gotten in. The glyphs on the cave walls recognized a witch was in the cave and lit up with the color that the Umbra Witch represented. For Bayonetta, the glyphs glowed red that gave an ominous feeling for Corrin as the two walked deeper into the cave. Bayonetta assumed that because this was Metallia's secret base that the glyphs shined a green color instead.
"What is this place supposed to be?" Corrin asked as he tried to decipher what the glyph symbols were.
"It's my friend's secret base." Bayonetta answered. "A long time ago, this cave was surrounded by a thick swamp that prevented anyone from getting close. Ever since she died, the swamp's power has started to deteriorate. That is why you were able to get in…because in the past…you would not have been able to do that unless my friend used too much magic in battle."
"I…see…"
"…This was the place where my friends and I were captured." Bayonetta admittedly darkly to herself. "If only I wasn't such a coward back then…"
"Are you still scared now?"
Corrin was asking to get his ass kicked by asking that. She was far from pleased judging from how she started walking more slowly.
"Now why would you ask that?"
"Well…just now…in combat…while I can imagine you're just rusty…you hesitated."
"Oh?"
"Forgive me for judging you now, but I cannot believe you refuse to fight out of laziness. Something or someone is holding you back…I do not believe you should have gotten hit by that arrow. Cloud thinks very highly of you and that didn't look to be your best."
Bayonetta stopped walking nearly causing Corrin to run into her. He gulped realizing that he might have pushed her buttons.
"You don't have to tell me anything!" Corrin shouted as he waved his arms in front of him frantically. "I was just thinking out loud! I'm probably wrong anyway and you were just caught off guard! Don't mind me…"
"You're more observant than I give you credit for."
Corrin wasn't expecting this response. Bayonetta had turned around with huge frown on her face. She folded her arms and sighed. She decided to talk to Corrin for once instead of giving vague information that he couldn't possibility piece together.
"…I'm having problems with my summon demon." Bayonetta admitted reluctantly. "I could deny it all I want, but she is holding me back."
"W-Who?"
"Madama Butterfly…also known as the Mistress of Atrocity in Inferno." Bayonetta began to explain. "In order to be accepted as an official member of the Umbran Witch Clan, she must make a pact with a demon from Inferno and control him or her without being killed."
"And you succeeded?" Corrin asked thinking the answer would be simple when that was far from the case.
"I didn't deserve to succeed." Bayonetta murmured. "I was born with extraordinary power, so I could summon whatever demon I wanted. I ended up summoning one of the strongest and most feared demons in Inferno. Madama Butterfly knew I was not strong enough to keep her under my control and tried to kill me right there…if it weren't for the Fog Witch…I would not be here today…"
"O-Oh…"
"Ever since that incident, I held back from summoning Madama Butterfly. That has cost me so much. The fear of losing control mid-summon and having her rampage with no one to stop her…" Bayonetta shook her head at the "what if" scenarios. They didn't happen, so she shouldn't be scared of something that has yet to occur. However, she was just worried that the minute Madama Butterfly was summoned that the cruel mistress would destroy everything in her path.
"Right now, I do not need Madama Butterfly. I have survived eighteen years without the need to summon her. However, there will be a point where I will need to summon her and the other Inferno demons…and when that day comes…"
"I believe you can do it!" Corrin interrupted. "Eighteen years is a long time for you to get stronger."
"I wonder…"
Corrin tilted his head in confusion. It was odd seeing the Umbra Witch not too sure with herself. From the day he met her, she was brimming with confidence. Now, she didn't seem to believe that she could control her demons even now. Perhaps if Cloud told her this, she might be reassured, but Corrin could go on about how she was capable of great things.
He wouldn't be able to due to his body freezing up and the cave suddenly starting to spin. At the same time he let out a pained groan, the glyphs in the room shined brighter than before. Bayonetta rushed over to the dragon prince immediately seeing him in pain.
"…You fool…it's the poison…"
"No…it's not…" Corrin growled. "My body is reacting to the light…"
Sure enough, the symbol on his back started glowing. The Umbra Witch had no idea what was going on, but she knew that she needed to get Corrin away from the lights. It wouldn't be long until they were in Metallia's secret base. Quickly, Bayonetta lifted Corrin off the ground and carried him off with little protesting. Again, Bayonetta had to lament how ridiculously easy it was to get to the deepest part of the secret base. The glyphs recognized Bayonetta as a witch and cracked open the door that was hidden behind stone.
However, Bayonetta would be treated to a nasty surprise. There was nothing left in the room. Granted, she should have expected this since this was where she and her Umbran Sisters were captured, but they had rushed outside to fight instead of taking it inside this cramped space. This was still strange because it seemed like documents were either torn to bits or burned. She assumed that Belda was the one who did this seeing as how she snatched Metallia's journal. However, she would think the bed would be intact, but nothing was spared in Belda's rampage. All except one thing…
"What's this? How did that bitch not destroy this?"
In front of her was a green seed that was floating in the air. With the green seed was a black bracelet. Bayonetta swore that was the same one Metallia wore when she performed the summon, but there was no way to confirm it. Without too much, she went over and grabbed both items. They vanished the minute she came in contact with them. She wouldn't be able to check her magical inventory later due to prioritizing Corrin over what appeared to be the last items that belonged to Metallia.
"I smell fear."
Bayonetta blinked. Who said that? She looked down and realized it was Corrin. Her eyes widened in horror as she ended up dropping him. He let out a growl as he forced himself to stand up. The Umbra Witch noticed that the dragonstone he was carrying was glowing now. Horns appeared on his head and his tail threatened to pop up. He gave her an intimidating stare that sent shivers down her spine.
"…Corrin…what are you talking about?" She questioned. "Why are you activating your dragonstone? There is no one here."
"…You said you wanted the power to control Madama Butterfly." The Izumo prince spoke. Bayonetta noted how his tone was noticeably lower as he continued to give her a cold stare. "I can help you control the Mistress of Atrocity and extract revenge on the people who wronged you."
"…Who are you? You're not the naïve prince that was talking to me a few minutes ago…"
"…I am." Corrin answered darkly. "I guess you can thank the pact for allowing me to be so blunt."
What did Anankos do to his son? Bayonetta assumed it was simply the dragon side of Corrin taking over. She had heard stories that dragons struggled to maintain humanity. The less dragon blood you had, the easier it was to become more human-like. Corrin was a half-breed, so he would eventually have to deal with his dragon side. However, the pact seemed to have awoken something in Corrin and it wasn't a good thing.
"I will ask you again. Do you want to tame Madama Butterfly and extract revenge?"
"Of course. I'm always up for revenge."
Bayonetta was being honest. If she could control Madama Butterfly, she could get revenge on the people she hated. She could destroy foundations her enemies made and she would love every minute of it. She wondered if it was a good idea to admit it to this side of Corrin though. She could feel her shoulder burning due to the pact, but instead of the light feeling she had not too long ago, she felt like the pact was freezing her in place. She felt like prey ready to be eaten.
"Then let me demonstrate how the pact actually works."
How many times was Bayonetta going to be taken by surprise by Corrin? She was used to him being shy around her and making sure not to make her mad. This side of Corrin cared not for how she felt. She found herself being pushed down so her back was against the floor and Corrin could easily sit on top of her.
"That's not how you treat a lady…" She groaned as she tried to sit up.
"This is how Father wants the pact to turn out." The silver haired prince told her. She was far from pleased with how Corrin's attention was to where the pact symbol was. "The stronger the sexual prowess is, the stronger the magic boost is. Once I'm done with you, you'll be able to summon Madama Butterfly and get her under your control. Once you do that, then you are that much closer to obtaining revenge."
It made sense but…
Bayonetta shuffled uncomfortably underneath the dragon prince. She wouldn't mind his aggression if it weren't for the fact that her mind was starting to wander off again. Corrin's menacing red eyes were staring directly into her grey ones and she found it difficult to maintain eye contact with him.
"Funny how you're making more sense now but making me regret wanting a pact with you. I am not for you to look at. I made that clear with you Corrin."
Corrin raised an eyebrow as a response. His tail moved on its own as the tip of it trailed down her stomach and toward her crotch area. She flinched feeling the tail there.
"Oh, you made it clear alright. Don't worry. This will be quick."
She didn't want that though. Bayonetta attempted to snark back with him, but she was met with a surprise kiss. Corrin wasn't going to let her back away from this. He had every intention of exploring her mouth even though she was not returning the kiss and for good reasons…
Of all the times to have a flashback, it had to be after Corrin had leaned in and stole a kiss from her. The Umbra Witch was brought back during the middle of the torture session with Totopepe. He had no problem making her body feel weird. When she tried to scream for help, weird noises came out of her mouth instead. Totopepe had laughed as she fondled one her breasts from behind her. The young witch struggled to break free from the rope that bound her hands upward, but it was impossible. If she summoned Madama Butterfly, he would be in trouble, but her fear prevented her from doing something as simple as that. Totopepe hummed as his other hand lowered down to her groin area.
"Heh-heh, you're already wet." Totopepe had mocked as he continued to play with her. "You should tell me what you want."
Bayonetta had pleaded for him to stop, but he said that wasn't what she wanted. Soon, he would stop playing with her breast just to pull her chin in his direction and force his tongue down her throat. She let out a pitiful cry as she bit down on his tongue. He didn't seem to care. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the pain and continued the assault. There was nothing she could do with his invading tongue exploring her mouth. Her body was still getting hot from the actions his other hand was doing to her.
"You like that?" He asked her as he broke the kiss apart. "You should. I'm a good kisser."
"Y-You…"
"Ahh…are you going to cry? I hope that wasn't your first kiss. Ha ha ha ha! That's a laugh coming from a slutty witch like you!"
Bayonetta wanted to avoid another kiss, but seeing how disturbed she was the first time, he had no problem doing it again until she felt her body give up on her…
Corrin didn't seem to notice that the Umbra Witch froze up. He was too focused on trying to activate the pact that he didn't notice how she was trembling in his arms.
"Corrin…that's enough…" She hissed as he pulled away from her.
"I thought you wanted power."
"I do but…"
"Then there's no problem."
Corrin would have continued had Bayonetta made it clear she was done. She slapped him across the cheek when he tried to kiss her again. Her expression darkened as she pushed him away.
"If a lady says no, she means no!"
The dragon prince was completely taken by surprise. His narrow eyes seemed to vanish at that moment. Now, he looked like a lost puppy.
"Bayonetta?"
"…I thought you were different from the rest of them, but you're just as disgusting…"
"W-Wait…what did I do?!"
"You know what you did!"
Corrin really didn't. For a moment, he had blacked out in the middle of his conversation with Bayonetta. Now, he found himself pinning the taller woman against the wall and using his dragon strength to hold her down. Bayonetta was still strong herself, so it wasn't really a surprise her slap could snap him out of whatever trance he was in. A crimson blush appeared on his cheeks as he immediately got off of her.
"I…I didn't…oh no…did I…do something bad?"
Bayonetta was far from pleased. Before she could say anything else, the two heard footsteps coming from outside. Corrin would have been happy that someone found them, but then remembered that the Hoshidan soldiers were still pursuing them. Things got from bad to worse though as it wasn't just soldiers from Hoshido that were chasing them. Nohrian soldiers decided to team up with the Hoshidan soldiers in order to retrieve Corrin.
"Oh no…" Corrin mumbled.
"Lord Corrin!" The Nohrian general shouted. "We have found you."
"Shoot…this is not good…" Corrin thought to himself as he stood up and stood in front of Bayonetta. "…Well I'm here…"
"We are so glad you are safe." The Nohrian general said sincerely. "We will take you back to Izumo now."
Corrin shook his head. He couldn't do that now…not until he found out who his mother's killer is.
"I'm sorry…I cannot return at the moment." Corrin told them. "Please leave."
The soldiers wanted answers, but they were warned by the Hoshidan soldiers that the Izumo Prince was currently entranced by the Umbra Witch. The Nohrian general looked behind the Izumo Prince to see Bayonetta against the wall. She still looked injured from the previous attack.
"…We cannot do that." The Nohrian soldier told him. "The kingdom needs you back."
"…Then put your weapons away. You're pointing them at my friend."
The soldiers refused to obey Corrin to his irritation.
"We cannot do that. We were ordered by Macbeth to take the witch back with us dead or alive."
Of course that bastard wants her. Corrin thought to himself. Bayonetta would be used as a hostage to get Cloud out of hiding…I can't allow that but…
Of all the times to feel exhausted, it had to be now. The prince found himself collapsing to his knees. He needed the Yatogami to even keep balance, but it worried the soldiers to an extent. Bayonetta called out to the Izumo prince, but Corrin could not respond to her. His vision was getting blurry. Did the poison actually affect him after all, or did activating the pact twice without being able to relieve himself cause him tire out?
"Take them both." The Nohrian general ordered as the soldiers wasted no time to approach them.
If there was a need to summon, it was now. Bayonetta still couldn't do it. The soldiers wouldn't give her the time anyway if she hesitated the way she was now.
There was one thing the soldiers forgot though. If a group of them were gathering somewhere, it usually attracted a lot of unwanted attention. They did not expect the entire cave to suddenly decrease in terms of temperature before some of the soldiers found themselves frozen. Corrin's eyes widened in horror recognizing who was freezing the soldiers and turning many of them into ice sculptures. While both Hoshido and Nohrian soldiers were screaming at the sorcery magic being cast on them, they would fail to react to either a blade coming down and impaling them in the head or chest, or a powerful fist crushing them to bits. The people who have come to rescue Corrin and Bayonetta made short work of the enemies that one would think they were assassins.
"Cloud! Flora!" Corrin shouted.
"…You two really like getting yourselves in trouble…" Was Cloud's nonchalant response as he put his buster sword away. "Also, Tifa is here with me."
The bartender was a trusted ally of Cloud for a reason. Corrin knew she was strong from her previous fight against the Nohrian soldiers that attacked AVALANCHE, but he didn't think her punches were strong enough to crush the soldiers that had been frozen solid. Tifa adjusted her gloves to get the ice shards off of them. Behind Tifa was Flora who was the cause of the sudden chill in the room.
Flora was far from impressed with Corrin running off with the Umbra Witch. She heard about the pact from Azura and what it insinuated, but she didn't think the pact would be the reason that Corrin ran off with Bayonetta.
"…I'm disappointed in you…" Flora groaned as she rushed over to her prince. "I never pegged you as the type to run off with an older woman."
"I-It's not like that!" Corrin yelled as his cheeks turned red. "I'm not like that!"
"Save it. I'm going to heal you first before anything else."
As the blue haired maid hurried with her healing, Tifa looked back toward the entrance of the cave with a scowl on her face. They were not safe. Soon, other soldiers would wonder where their comrades were and come inside to see that they had been killed. They needed to leave before the scenario happened.
"…We should head back before reinforcements come in." Tifa told them. She was the only one trying to keep a cool head. "Come on Cloud! We better tell Anankos the soldiers are nearby, now!"
Cloud still wanted to tease Bayonetta though. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him, but he still felt the need to mock her for almost getting captured again.
"Bayonetta, there's a time and place to be lazy, but now is not the time to play damsel again."
"Silence…" She hissed. "I am not in the mood."
"You looked to be in the mood to…" Cloud did indeed stop when he saw her stand up and follow after Tifa without saying a word. The blond had to remind himself that Bayonetta was not the type to cry, but she did have a nasty temper if someone set her off. Corrin already did that. He could tell with how she ignored Corrin's weakened state. He would need to ask what happened between the two when he took his eye off them.
As for Corrin, he allowed Flora to assist him. Cloud would go over and help him too, but the dragon prince wanted the blond to protect the girls instead of him. The soldiers wouldn't kill him. It was unfortunate that these soldiers had to die in order to escape, but there was nothing Corrin to do about it. He sighed as the mercenary allowed him to put his arm over one shoulder and Flora allowed him to put his other arm around her shoulder and take him out of the cave. One thing kept plaguing his mind though that would drive him up the wall.
What just happened to me just now? Why did my dragon side act up after all of this time? Is it because of the pact or…
Cloud had to make sure that there were no soldiers around the area before taking the group back to Valla. The last thing he wanted was for the enemy to follow them and report back to their leaders. Cloud needed to take the two back to Anankos though when reporting what he saw outside of Valla. Anankos was not a happy dragon to learn that Hoshido soldiers were even near Valla in the first place. It meant that he would have to gear up the citizens of Valla and force them to protect their nation should Hoshido, Nohr, or Izumo invade. If Sumeragi and Garon found out that Corrin was staying here, then they had every right to take him back by force. Anankos really didn't want to resort to violence, but with how things were starting to shape up, that would not be the case. Valla needed to be protected if he wanted the entire continent to continue thriving. The kings would not realize until the last minute that they would be making a mistake if Anankos was slain thus leaving the continent without an Invisible Dragon to keep the Invisible Continent stable.
"Father, please tell me why my dragon instincts suddenly surged!" Corrin shouted. Anankos was more concerned with getting Kamui in the Dragon's Den so the two could brainstorm ways to defend Valla. "Never in my eighteen years has this ever happened to me! I only found out I had dragon blood in my veins not too long ago…why did those instincts suddenly…"
"It must have been an empathetic response." Anankos told him rather quickly. "You have a pact with Bayonetta. You responded to whatever she was feeling in that moment and acted on your instincts."
Corrin couldn't believe that. Bayonetta was visibly terrified of him and the dragon prince had no problem continuing despite her protests. That was far from an empathetic response…it felt more predatory unless…
"But there's no way I would suddenly feel that when I haven't been interested in the opposite gender for eighteen years…" Corrin mumbled darkly. "I'm not like that…"
"I doubt you are." Cloud told the young prince. "It might have been you getting used to your pact as well. It has not been that long."
"I know but…"
"Corrin, I would suggest you drop the subject." Bayonetta stated.
"B-But…"
"You just caught me by surprise. You won't be able to do that to me again without losing a tooth."
Corrin trembled at her threat. Despite it clearly being an accident on Corrin's end, Bayonetta was still angry with him. This was not how you spend the first few hours with someone you just made a pact with. The red eyed prince was now worried that Bayonetta thought of him as a perverted opportunist when that was far from the case.
"I-I'm really sorry Bayonetta…" Corrin mumbled. "I…I'll make it up to you."
"Not now…" The Umbra Witch started. "I exhausted myself today. I think I'll be heading back to the house."
Corrin wanted to say something else to her, but the Umbra Witch had already dismissed herself from the Dragon's Den. While Corrin thought that Bayonetta was angry with him, the Umbra Witch thought that Corrin was mad at her for her performance. After all of that buildup, Bayonetta came out short and looked like a third rate witch that was incapable of protecting herself against the Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers. She was stronger than this, but the fact Corrin had to assist and protect her was enough to hurt her pride more than anything. She needed to clear her mind before she could accept Corrin's apology. However, she was disappointed with herself most of all. This incident proved one thing: All of those years of training were for naught if she could not get over her past mistakes.
Me: TBC with 13594 words.
Li:…Well…Metallia…is clearly not a nice individual.
Me: She's the villain protagonist in her own game, so it would make sense that she would be a terrible friend. The only reason Metallia is sympathetic is the people you fight are worse than her. Notes!
1. Metallia actually did this to Malia in canon. The only difference is that Malia survived and would eventually be turned back into her human form (and by eventually I mean near the end of the game as she spends the entire game unable to communicate with others. This is just karmic retribution on her end). In this AU, it's unwarranted in comparison because there isn't 100 years of child abuse that would build up Malia's karma.
2. The journal entry is intentionally edgy but Metallia is a very immature person. Metallia is not allowed to say a lot of things without getting in trouble so she writes it out in her journal (she doesn't do this in canon FYI but I could see it as a headcanon of her happy thoughts start degrading into hate and sorrow as she got older). Since Metallia already turned her mother into a rat and got her gang raped in actual canon, it wouldn't be out of character to have her wish sexual assault on someone else out of spite. Mind you, Metallia has no problems sexually harassing Visco on her first meeting nor did she have a problem of labeling Visco as her mutt at the beginning. Metallia also had no problem letting people die when they scream for help also at the beginning of the game. Metallia only changes as a person when the other witches knock her down a peg and when she starts seeing Visco as a friend/girlfriend instead of a servant. The irony is that despite Metallia having no problem harassing other women, when Totopepe does the exact same thing (he actually rapes a bunch of people, brags about it and then the thing he did to Visco), she is appalled. So yes, you're supposed to be disturbed by the context of the journal of what Metallia wants to happen to Bayonetta. However, because this is a hazy flashback, Bayonetta might be misinterpreting the text or forgetting certain details…although this is pretty damning evidence that Metallia wasn't the best friend that Bayonetta thought she was.
3. Something is that is also stated in game is that witches in the Witch and the 100 Knight universe are advised to not fall in love and have sex. Your powers aren't reduced but according to the Old Hag, she states that nothing good comes from losing your virginity to a man. In this universe, we see what happens when Baldr and Rosa fall in love…and then you have Belda who is driven by lust. Most of Metallia's punish invoke losing one's virginity and causing more problems for that witch. It's ironic given Bayonetta's character in canon (but she isn't a virgin anyway but you get the point).
4. All the items that Bayonetta is stated to have from Selene are Lana and Cia's items from Hyrule Warriors. Specific descriptions of items are said to be used by the Guardian of Time like the scepter, the tome and the Summoning Gate. The crystal ball is shown in the cute drawing flashback in the game, so it's not hard to assume that this was used to look into the past lives of Link and the Hyrule timeline in general. The reference that the crystal ball can look into the past is also in Fates where Azura has a crystal ball that sees Garon's true self.
5. Corrin learned a lot from Volga, Azura and Cloud in a short amount of time. I tried to keep him up to speed with his abilities as a Smasher but still being limited due to inexperience.
6. Bayonetta can use Witch Time. Don't worry, I didn't forget. She just hasn't found the need to use it. It could have saved her from being poisoned though, but of course, Bayonetta is rusty in combat and her weapons are the pistols used at the beginning of Bayonetta 2…which get broken mid-battle.
7. There will be a time and place to explain Corrin's dragon side, but prepare for this side to come out more when the pact is being activated. You can believe Anankos in thinking it was an empathetic response, that the dragon side came out because it smelled Bayonetta's fear when addressing the subject of summoning or the dragon side is responding to the urge to mate.
8. Flora is part of the Ice Tribe in Fates, so of course she can turn people into ice sculptures. Remember, she froze the ocean in Revelations.
That's it. Reviews are appreciated! Ja ne!