Corrin had a lot of work to do.

He was used to it, really. One did not lead an army as large as that of Hoshido without growing used to the copious amounts of paperwork that came with the job. The man was no stranger to restless nights spent diligently working at his desk with only the faint warm light of a dull oil lamp strung up on the wall to illuminate the room, and that was precisely what he was doing at that moment.

Finishing up penning one of his numerous decrees, Corrin set his quill down, brushed the parchment aside, and yawned while stretching out his arms, feeling his joints pop and his muscles begin to relax. He had been at it for hours and was exhausted. Now that Yukimura was dead, much of the work that he would have done had been passed onto him until he and the rest of the war council could elect a new Head Tactician. Kaze had offered to bear the burden, but of course, Corrin adamantly declined. The man needed to be there for his wife after all she had been through these past few days, after all.

Corrin rubbed his eyes and turned his head to the single window in his office, staring out at the night sky adorned with dozens of twinkling white stars. It was a peaceful night in Shirasagi. The prince felt the urge to climb out of that window and take to the air, to soar above the capital and stare down at the tranquil homes and shops below. Despite this, however, he knew that the spirit of his citizens betrayed the calm aura of the city in which they lived. They had to have been terrified. Neither he nor any of his siblings had made a public appearance in two days. The only way his subjects even knew that he wasn't dead was due to the fact that Ryoma had had a courier go around town announcing that their royal family was alright, and that was it. There was no information on the results of the war nor the status of their enemies. As such, the people of Shirasagi still seldom left their homes.

Ryoma was supposed to give an address tomorrow morning—no, later that day, certainly it had to have been past midnight. Corrin was unsure of what the king would say, but more than that, the reaction of his people was what worried him the most. While they may have killed Nohr's king, and while the nation's eldest prince may have fallen…public enemy number one was still alive and well. Hoshidans hated Kamui, that enough was certain. Their queen had died for her and she turned their back on them all. The country's lost princess turned leader of the military force that had taken from them their king, killed their mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. The thought of the reception that her survival as well as her current treatment would receive made him shudder. He was scared. She was his sister and the people that lionized him would be calling for her head in a basket.

He nervously bit his lip and tapped his fingers along the armrest of his chair; how would he explain to his subjects what kind of person she was? He couldn't. Even if he could, that didn't matter. No matter how kind she was or much he loved her, her hands were still stained in blood. Hoshidan blood. There was no convincing them.

Corrin jumped when he felt a pair of arms snake around his shoulders—how did he not hear someone enter his room? He must have been distracted. His heart rate jumped at first, though steadied when he felt a pair of soft lips press into his cheeks. He smiled and placed a hand on one of the arms.

"Kagero, you don't have to be up this late. I'll come to bed in just a bit."

"Kagero? Last I saw, she was asleep in your chambers. She looked lonely."

Corrin yelped, immediately scrambling out of his chair and turning around only to be met with the snickering visage of his other half, cast in the warm orange glow of the hanging lamp. She was dressed in a flowing white nylon nightgown, her freshly-washed hair tied in a single short braid that was just long enough to fall over her shoulder. She looked healthier than she had been in weeks, a light in her eyes and a pleasant smile on her face.

Huffing and placing a hand over his chest, Corrin shook his head leaned against his desk. "Gods, Kamui, you scared me half to death. You really do have to watch yourself, you know. You wouldn't want people to think we're like those twins from that story Camilla used to tell us, would you? What were their names again…?"

"Eirika and Ephraim. Keep in mind that I don't believe that they were explicitly incestuous, there were just some strange undertones to their relationship." Kamui replaced Corrin in his chair and stared at him, her smile faltering for a moment. "Ah…are you feeling anxious? For tomorrow, I mean."

"Of course I am." Corrin let out a breath and smoothed back his hair. "Unlike Nohr, the people of Hoshido are rather…how do I say this? Nationalistic." He pressed his lips together and began to nervously tap his foot on the wooden floorboards. "My concern is that Iago's death won't be enough. One could make the argument that Hoshido lost the war, really. Not only that, but…well, you're still alive."

The prince placed his hands on his desk and hoisted himself up to sit atop the surface, a gesture unbecoming of someone of his status, but that didn't matter. The only other person there was his sister, after all. "You probably gathered by now, but Ryoma and I haven't exactly done the best at painting a good picture of you these past few months."

"And I haven't done the best of being worthy of such a thing," Kamui retorted, holding her tongue between her teeth. The glow started to fade from her face and Corrin immediately intervened, rapidly shaking his head and beginning to stammer.

"Hey, don't put yourself down, Kamui. You did all that you could in the position you were in."

"And how many people died because of it?" she mumbled, gripping at the fabric of her nightgown with a grimace.

Corrin frowned as his sister slipped away from him. Kamui had certainly changed over the course of the past five years, that enough was certain. The Kamui whom he had left behind all those years ago at the border would never have been so openly crestfallen around anyone. He now knew the sort of person she had become—he had seen it when she was locked up in the Castle Shirasagi dungeons, when he had driven his sword through her chest, and in the days following Iago's death. Gone was the proud and confident princess he thought his sister had been. Now, there was only a morose, anxiety-riddled mess of a young woman. Corrin had to wonder how much of that was his fault.

Kamui's eyes wandered over to the myriad documents on her brother's desk. She idly began to scan them as best she could by candlelight, though most of the written words were obscured by shadows.

"What are these?" she asked, her tone thankfully picking up in enthusiasm.

"Ah, those are just various matters that need to be dealt with. Reports on the damages to the castle as well as the number of troops lost, a couple of items to be included in the first draft for a treaty with Nohr, Hans' execution papers, a proposition for the restructuring of the war council—"

"Hans' what?" Kamui furrowed her brow and stared at the man, her mouth tightly knit in a deep frown.

Corrin nodded. "Execution papers, yes. We can't very well just kill a man in front of an audience without going through the proper channels first." He snapped his fingers and slammed his fist against his palm. "Gods, that reminds me that I need to burn your own execution papers."

Kamui made up her face and seemed to shrink in her seat, prompting Corrin to tilt his head in confusion. "I…I didn't hear anything about an execution," she said. She sounded as if she were on the verge of vomiting.

Corrin shrugged. "I figured that you wouldn't care."

When Kamui recoiled at that statement, Corrin's hands stiffened. Had he said something wrong? Of course, Kamui had spent far more time around Hans than him, but it was not as if he had done anything to harm her in particular.

"Is there…a problem?" the prince asked with a slight incline of his head.

"Yes," Kamui blurted out before beginning to nervously tap her foot on the floor. "You shouldn't kill him."

"What?" Corrin stood up straight and thinned his eyes at his sister; what the hell was she saying? "For what reason?"

"Because killing people is wrong," she said as if it were a matter of fact, her gaze glued to her lap. "It's one thing to kill to protect yourself or your loved ones or your property, but he isn't a threat anymore. There isn't any reason to murder him."

Corrin shot her a glare. "Hans isn't exactly a person, Kamui, and the reason to execute him is simple. It's simply justice, that's all there is to it. You know all the atrocities that he's committed, so why are you defending him?"

Shaking her head, Kamui began to bite down on her tongue, still refusing to meet her brother's eyes. "Of course he's a person," she muttered, then raising her voice slightly. "He is a bad person, but a person nevertheless. You can't just ascribe humanity to a human being based on your own parameters of morality, what authority does anyone have to do such a thing?"

"Kamui—"

"And this justice of yours, it d-doesn't lead to anything good." As her speech picked up in speed, Kamui began to stammer, her breaths coming in rapid and shallow. "Iago killed my father, my mother, and my brother, but I'm not happy that he's dead. There's no closure or catharsis or satisfaction or joy or anything. D-don't try to tell me that you do, either; I can tell when you're lying."

Corrin's eyes softened and his anger began to burn out the instant he realized just how much this meant to his sister. She seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack, almost.

"If it's administering adequate punishment you're worried about, then it would be better to let him rot in a prison cell for the rest of his miserable little life! He can count the days until his final breath for all care, but he doesn't deserve…" Kamui's voice fell to a whisper. "He doesn't deserve the mercy of death."

Corrin placed his hand gently on her shoulder. He supposed he should have figured that Kamui's perspective on death would be so different from his considering her attitude towards her own life. Even so, she was wrong. Death was no relief or mercy or anything of the sort. No, death was a terrible thing. It cut one's time in the world short and cast their loved ones into despair, and on top of that, there was no coming back from it. Death was something only the worst of the worst were deserving of, and Hans was exactly that.

"Hey," he began, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "If you feel so strongly about it, then you, me, and Ryoma can discuss it after we get back from our little venture. I promise, we won't move forward with anything without consulting you first. Ah, as well as Azura and Camilla."

After a moment's silence, Kamui gave a small nod. Corrin smiled.

"Good. Now, it's late. I'm going to go to bed. You should, too. We have to be up bright and early for tomorrow."

The prince took his sister's hand and raised her from the seat at his desk before extinguishing the lamp on the wall and leading her out into the hall. Their rooms were in opposite directions, so he released her hand and waved goodbye.

"Good night," he said, starting to slowly walk away. To his dismay, Kamui only nodded wordlessly before disappearing down the darkness of the hallway.

Hopefully, she would be better in the morning.

Kamui, of course, was nervous.

It was a strange feeling being back in Castle Shirasagi as a welcomed guest after so many years. A significant section of the castle had served as the site of the final battle of the war just days ago, and as such was in disarray. Broken fixtures and bloodstained floors were all that greeted her whenever she would pass by a particular wing of the castle, and she always had to avert her eyes. She would always silently wish that repairs would begin sooner rather than later.

Though she would never look directly at them out of shame or fear, she could feel the icy stares of the numerous butlers and maids that still occupied the castle boring holes through her soul every time she had the misfortune of crossing their paths. They hated her; she could feel it. That was precisely why she had taken to brewing her own tea and making sure that her meals were prepared by someone she knew she could trust, whether that be Felicia or Peri. The thought of suddenly falling over after taking a sip from her cup was too terrifying, and as such, Kamui would always force it from her mind whenever it invaded.

Despite the expected cold reception from the castle's denizens, she had actually been treated well enough by the people that mattered most, those being the ones who shared her blood. They had not accepted her with open arms, of course, but at the very least they were not screaming her name and calling for her head like Corrin once had. Sakura in particular was the most welcoming. She was a sweet girl, so it was only natural. Azura, too, seemed to have absolutely qualms with Kamui's presence in the castle, which came as no shock. She was in part the reason any of them were still alive, after all. As for the others…

Takumi and Hinoka seemed to loathe being near her. Every time she crossed paths with either one of them, they made a face that made it seem like they had smelled something foul. It hurt, but Kamui understood. They had every right to hate her. Their mother had sacrificed her life for her and she repaid them by drawing a sword on them before eventually sending a bolt of lightning through Hinoka's retainer. She would always brace herself when they were near, as if they were prone to striking her across her face whenever the urge took them. If they did, she would not blame them. She deserved far, far worse.

Ryoma was different from the rest. While Sakura and Azura were amicable, Hinoka and Takumi resentful, Ryoma always seemed…ambivalent. The look in his eye whenever he would see Kamui was one all too familiar. It was a look of sorrow, regret, and pain rolled into one. She hadn't spoken a word to him ever since Iago's death and she had a feeling that he held no desire to speak with her. What was there to be said? He hadn't even come to see her while she was being held prisoner in Hoshido; it was as if he wished he could forget she existed entirely.

That was a nice thought.

Kamui clung to her older sister like a child would a mother as Hoshido's king stepped forward onto the overhanging balcony of Castle Shirasagi to address the hundreds of citizens that had travelled from their home all the way out to the castle to hear their ruler speak and finally be made aware of what exactly had occurred during the war's final battle. She sympathized with them. It must have been agony to not know whether or not you were going to be subjected to the rule of a foreign tyrant or not for days, but Ryoma had insisted he not make a public appearance until he was fully recovered. Something about it being a matter of pride, he said.

Camilla looked down on her, her face much darker than usual. "You're shaking," she said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she lied. "No. I'm worried. These are…these were supposed to be my people, my subjects, and I turned my back on them. How many Hoshidans have I killed? How are they going to take the truth of it all?"

"Would you rather have turned your back on us?" Camilla looked ahead with a frown. "Kamui, darling, you must stop beating yourself up over this. I thought Selena had told you months ago that there's no use in dwelling on what could have been or letting yourself be consumed by guilt."

"That's easier said than done." Kamui bit down on her tongue and balled her fists, heat rising to her face and hot tears welling in her eyes. "Camilla, every night I go to sleep thinking that—"

The princess' lament was abruptly cut short; she jumped at the sound of Ryoma's voice cutting through the air with such volume that it rattled her bones. He stood tall and strong at the edge of the overhang, looking down at the sea of Hoshidans that stood below, each of them eagerly waiting in anticipation for their king to tell them what they wished to hear. Corrin stood close behind him, his normal hand folded over his dragon hand in front of him.

"My cherished citizens!" he began, his booming voice traveling across the wind like an eagle steadily riding the rising thermals. "I stand before you today with much to say. I must thank each and every one of you for traveling out to the castle in order to hear the words directly from my mouth. You are all valued more than you could ever know, and so far, it has been an honor to serve as your king. That being said…"

A smile spread across Ryoma's face, a smile that made Kamui draw in staggered breath. There was no joy in his eyes. He was forcing it, just as she had countless times before.

"It is with great pleasure that I announce that our great Kingdom of Hoshido, after years of hardship and conflict, have emerged victorious in this wretched war!"

The crowd gathered below erupted in a chorus of uproar and applause; it was enough to make the sensitive-eared Kamui wince in discomfort. He was lying, of course. There was no victor, but to stand before a sea of his citizens and announce that the war had ended in a stalemate would have shattered his spirit. Now more than ever, the people of Hoshido needed hope, and if it was this falsehood that gave it to them, then so be it.

Ryoma only continued after the cheers died down around a minute later. "It was a hard fought battle that took our brave soldiers all the way to the heart of this very castle itself, but in the end, we persevered and defeated a great evil in this world…that being said, this was not achieved by our forces alone." As his smile died, Ryoma took a step back from the railing and gestured to the brother at his side. "Corrin, if you will."

Kamui squinted at her brother approaching the edge of the balcony with a confidence she had never seen him exhibit before. Corrin cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"My beloved subjects," he began, his voice loud yet somber. "I…I am afraid that today, I must extend to you all my most sincere apologies. These past six years, you have all been made to despise the woman once known as your princess. The woman I call my sister. Moreso, I have been particularly eager to slander her name as of late. I apologise to you all due to the fact that the portrait I have painted of this woman…it is an image that grossly misrepresents the person that my sister is."

For just a moment, a smile flickered on Kamui's face, though she was still filled with dread at the reception Corrin's words would receive. She had been the face of the opposition to these people for years, after all, but Corrin was their hero. Perhaps they would be willing to listen to him.

"Princess Kamui is not the evil, bloodthirsty, vicious warmonger that I have made her out to be. No…no, my sister is a victim! A victim of the nefarious plots enacted by the Mad King Iago himself and his puppet, King Garon!"

It was then that Kamui's heart sank.

Corrin continued his oration, his face growing red as his tone picked up in intensity. "From the beginning, she was made to utilize her unparalleled battle prowess to lead the Nohrian army in a war that they otherwise would have lost years ago! Threatened with the murder of our brothers and sisters as well as the decimation of the nation we were brought up in, how was she to decline?! To throw away the lives of millions of innocents unfortunate enough to be born under the rule of a tyrannical king?! It was only when Mad King Iago's guard was down and she had the assistance of our Hoshidan soldiers that she was able to finally raise her blade in rebellion against her oppressor and fight with us to defeat him! I should have known from the beginning—I was a fool to not have seen it. The legendary weapons forged by the First Dragons themselves are said to only present themselves to those destined to be heroes, so how could my dearest sister have been the villain I thought her to be?" He was panting down, beads of sweat rolling down his face and his knuckles white from the vice grip her had on the balcony's rail. "During the final battle, Kamui risked her life to protect both myself and my brother—our king! It was only with her aid as well as that of Princess Elise, Prince Xander, Prince Leo, and Princess Camilla that we were able to put an end to the Mad King's tyranny. Without their help…well, I must say that you all may have been staring at the face of Iago instead of your true king."

Kamui's face was blanched and her head spun; Gods, she was dizzy. She could barely register what was happening when Corrin briefly stepped away from the balcony's edge only to take her by the hand and drag her away from Camilla, holding her arm high in the air and presenting her to his people as if she were a trophy. The sight of them all staring up at her made her feel as if she were going to faint.

"This! This is the face of my savior—the savior of Hoshido! Let us all cast away the hatred we've tempered over these past six years and look towards a bright new future for our country, Nohr, and the world! Let us open our hearts to progress and a revolutionary change the likes of which no man has ever seen! And let us usher in the dawn of a new era! An era of my sister! The era of Kamui of Hoshido, the Savior Princess!"

The world seemed to spin around her as the crowd's cheers grew to an almost deafening volume. The feeling of vertigo worsened the longer Kamui stared down at the strangers below. She forced herself to instead look at her brother in hopes of alleviating the nausea, though she found that she did not recognize the man who was holding her hand. His face burned a deep red and his eyes held within them a ferocity she had only ever seen before when the thing he wanted most was her severed head on a pike. His wide smile was almost frightening—his lips curled back to reveal his pristine white teeth. Kamui figured she should have expected this. Of course she did not know him anymore. During the six years they spent apart, she had undergone several changes to her demeanor and personality, and so had Corrin. Gone was the meek and mild-mannered boy she had grown up with. Now, there was only the Assassin Prince.

When Ryoma stepped up to continue the address, Corrin took the opportunity to guide his sister away from the balcony and into the shade. He failed to notice the shocked expressions of Elise, Camilla, and Leo, his attention completely devoted to Kamui. His eyes seemed to shimmer with joy as he smiled at her.

"Well?" he asked in absolute delight. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, his face beginning to return to its normal pigment. "Just like that, that's one issue solved. To be honest, I wasn't completely confident they were going to buy it, but I guess I'm good at rallying a crowd, huh?"

Corrin was laughing, though Kamui was not amused. "You…you lied to them," she whispered.

The prince's smile faltered for a moment. "I did, yes. The truth of it all is rather difficult to explain, so—"

"You lied to them." Kamui balled her fist as her brow furrowed and her body began to shake. "Without so much as consulting me, you've just twisted the truth to the people that respect and adore you, and for what? To protect me?"

"Of course it was to protect you—do you know how they would have taken the fact that the woman who's directly responsible for the slaughter of their families was not only alive, but being treated like a valued guest by their king? They were calling for your head just a few months ago!"

"Oh, don't give me that," Kamui hissed through grit teeth, glaring. "As if your hands aren't stained with the blood of your own people, or do you really think that just because you didn't personally plunge a sword into their chests that it makes it better? A good leader knows when to retreat, and yet with every fight that you lost, you pressed on just because you were so desperate to get your hands on me. How many of your soldiers died for nothing?"

"Gods, how are so ungrateful!?" Corrin spat. "What, would you rather have me tell them that you pressed on with your war until we nearly killed each other? Is that what you want?"

Kamui shuddered as tears welled in her eyes, which were wide with fury and locked onto her brother's. "You're the one that wanted a fight. I asked you…to kill me. I never wanted any of this; I would gladly accept this entire country wanting me dead if it meant that their leader didn't have to lie through his teeth."

"But I don't want that for you, Kamui." Corrin's shoulders slacked and his eyes went soft. "I can't stand the thought of my own people looking at you like you're some sort of monster straight out of the old myth. For you to be exiled back to Nohr…it would be unbearable. I don't want to have to live out the rest of my life pretending to hate you. I wish to be able to stand before the entire world with you at my side filled with pride, and if I have to lie to my people just once in order to make that wish possible, then so be it."

The princess frowned and her head hung low, tears threatening to fall from her face and onto the ground. Gods, she was sick of crying. It was only when Corrin wrapped his arms around her that she blinked those tears away and pressed her face into his chest with a quivering lip.

"I'm sorry, but…that shouldn't be your decision to make for me. You should have at the very least consulted me."

"Truthfully, I knew that you wouldn't accept it. I didn't want to face that, so Ryoma and I felt it best to leave you in the dark. I am sorry, Kamui. I promise, I won't make any further decisions that involve you without your input."

As Corrin released her, Leo and Takumi looked at each other with grimaces on their faces. "They haven't always been like this, have they?" Takumi asked.

Leo shook his head. "No, at least, not in front of other people. I suppose this is how normal twins are supposed to act."

"Do you want to say anything to them when Ryoma is finished? That little speech is all I had planned for today, so if you'd like, the stage is yours," Corrin said with a hopeful smile. Kamui immediately shook her head, the very thought of doing such a thing shaking her to the core.

"N-no. I'd rather not. I'm, ah…I'd rather avoid public speaking if I can."

"I understand." Corrin cleared his throat and looked past Kamui to the older sister with whom he had grown up with, who immediately looked away and pretended not to have been staring. "Well, that's all the business you have left here for now, isn't it? I think it's about time you guys get going back to Nohr. The earlier you set out, the better, right?"

Biting her lip, Kamui began to nervously rub her arm as she looked up at her brother with sad eyes. "And you've made up your mind about not coming?"

Corrin sighed. "I have. While you all are gone, I'm afraid I'll be far too busy with paperwork and what-not. I wouldn't want to dump the work on somebody else or postpone it, so for me to stay here would be best. Don't worry, though. We'll see each other again soon, and then…well, then we'll finish this."

The notion of departing without her brother was unnerving, to say the least. She had only just been reunited with him at last and here she was leaving him all alone once again. Kamui told herself that it was fine—they were both adults, after all, and it was not as if she would be gone very long. It would only be a two day trip back to Windmire, she would spend a day there, and then they would meet once again at the Bottomless Canyon. Surely it would feel like no time at all.

"Right." Kamui took a deep breath before stepping back. "Then, I will see you when the time comes. Goodbye for now." The princess turned around to face those who had spent years as her adversaries, finding it difficult to meet their eyes. She forced herself to keep her head up and gave a respectful bow. "You as well, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura. I hope that you'll be well while I'm gone."

"We'll be fine," Takumi sharply responded, upturning his nose at the woman who was supposed to be his sister.

Hinoka looked away. "Don't worry about us. Just do what you need to do so that we can wrap this up."

"Th-thank you, Kamui. Have a safe journey!" Sakura said with a smile.

Kamui could not help but frown. She wanted to stare at them forever, but was promptly ushered away by the guiding hand of her own big sister. Leo, Elise, and Lilith followed closely behind, their expressions varying from tightly knit to despondent. As they walked towards the entrance back into Castle Shirasagi, Kamui found herself taking a longing glance over her shoulder only for her eyes to briefly meet the forlorn gaze of Hoshido's eldest princess, who immediately turned her attention back to the orating king.

She wondered if this sardonic period would last forever.

Nohr was always dismal and dreary, but this day in particular was simply dreadful. The sky was overcast with clouds that resembled the wool of black sheep and allowed for only slight hints of grey to be seen. There was the occasional clap of thunder indicating rainfall, though while the air was moist and heavy, not a single raindrop had yet fallen.

Not far from the crater that held within it Castle Krakenburg was a cemetery with only a few dozen graves to its name. Placed throughout the area were several statues of men donning regal clothing and that same three-pronged ebony crown passed down through the generations, standing among headstones given much less reverence. Several of the headstones had only faded engravings of names and vague epitaphs to serve as indication as to whom they belonged to; clearly the queens, concubines, and children of the reigning monarch were of little importance to Nohr in comparison to their king.

Now, Nohr's newly crowned queen stood before the open grave of her older brother, her face blanched and her eyes filled with sorrow. Her coronation had to be postponed for the time being, for these were turbulent times. Still, she was dressed in garbs much more befitting of a queen than that of her old armor, wearing a purple cloak outlined in white fur over jet black armor highlighted with her country's signature shade of violet, a sash that very same shade tied around her waist. The ebony crown sat atop her head of purple, though she had not done away with the diadem that she always wore, the black protrusions sticking out from her hair resembling horns. Almost as if she were a devil.

All around her were friends and family, though that did not mean that strangers were not in attendance. Those employed at Castle Krakenburg had been called to be the ones to lower the casket into its grave, though Laslow, Peri, Siegbert, and Charlotte had served as the pallbearers. Also in attendance were far too many nobles for anyone to count, most of whom had undoubtedly only come to put themselves in the good graces of their new queen. The crocodile tears and hollow condolences made her sick.

"…Xander…was many things. A son, husband, father, soldier. To me, however, he was my brother," Camilla said, the final words of her eulogy threatening to bring forth tears. "Wherever our spirits may go in the afterlife, I know in my heart that he is watching over us now, filling us with the will needed to continue forward and live our lives to the fullest."

Camilla was silent for a few moments. No one spoke, of course, for to interrupt the queen would mean losing one's tongue. There was a clap of thunder, and then she spoke again.

"Ah…I'd like to open the floor to anyone that would like to say a few words about Xander, now. Please, if you feel you have anything at all to say, step forward."

Standing in front of the crowd that had gathered over the open grave, Kamui felt her heart leap into her throat. It was difficult enough to remain composed while Camilla delivered her eulogy and now she was going to have to listen to even more people speak about her brother—most of whom had likely never truly known him. Aristocrats and bluebloods whose only goals were to further their own standing with the queen. On top of that, Kamui knew who they were really paying attention to. She could feel their eyes on her every moment.

As much as she hated it, Nohr had been fed lies just as Hoshido had, mostly at the behest of Lilith. It would be an impossible endeavor to explain to everyone the truth of what had happened, and as such, the only option was to fabricate a narrative to placate their morbid thirst for knowledge. Officially, Iago had been felled at the hands of Corrin, and Xander lost his life defending his king from a sudden display of malice by Hans. As Iago had no next of kin nor did he have any decrees for what should be done in the event of his death, the throne had returned to the previous line of succession and been bestowed upon Camilla, the eldest of King Garon's remaining children.

The lies made Kamui sick. For the rest of her life, she would have to deal with people believing that her brother was murdered at the hands of a mere insect—the insignificant and wretched man that was Hans—instead of shielding her from the same fate he had truly suffered. She would also be subjected to their incessant judgement, which was exactly what she was currently enduring.

Though her role in aiding the Hoshidans in defeating Iago had been played up in the Hoshidan report of events, it was greatly diminished in the Nohrian version. As for as the people of Nohr knew, she had acted as simply a passive observer for the final moments of the battle and did nothing as their king was killed. Of course, there would be those that believed Hoshido's story over Nohr's and deem her a traitor whose head should have been paraded proudly among the streets of Windmire, but that was not for her to concern herself with. She had people to handle matters of information such as that, after all.

Kamui closed her eyes. For now, it was fine. Once all was said and done, she would be able to reveal the truth about everything that had transpired over the past six years to her subjects. Iago would be condemned by the citizens, Xander mourned, and Kamui…well, she supposed it did not matter what they thought of her actions or her choices. It was not as if they knew her personally, after all. No, all that mattered was the opinions of those she cared about, such as Elise, or Corrin, or Azura, or Ryoma…

She bit her tongue.

To Kamui's relief, the first person to step up to deliver a speech was not a noble desperate for attention, but rather someone that did know Xander. He knew him rather well, in fact. As Camilla stepped aside, Laslow took her place, adjusting his tie with a solemn expression and clearing his throat.

"Hi. To those of you who don't know me, my name is Laslow. I was one of Xander's retainers along with my wife, Peri." The usually charming and debonair man pulled at his collar, his eyes uncertain of where to focus. "Uh, I guess I probably knew Xander better than most people, huh? Where do I start…well, I came to this country with two of my friends nine years ago." He drew in a sharp breath and paused, whispering. "Nine years…ah, excuse me. None of us really knew what we were doing at the time. We were alone with no connections to Nohr—all we had were each other. The three of us spent some time drifting around the kingdom, getting by with winnings from amateur combat tournaments, and at one of these tournaments we just so happened to attract the attention of royalty. It was as if we had been smiled upon by the gods themselves, a couple of foreigners suddenly tasked with being the retainers of the king's children. During my time as Xander's retainer, I…grew a lot. As a man. I met the woman who I'd eventually marry—and if you know me, then you know that that's a feat—, I came to know some of my best friends, and most of all, I came to understand myself better than I ever did before."

Laslow brushed his hair out of his face before continuing. "Xander wasn't perfect, no man is, but he was a shining example of the man I've always wanted to be. Strong enough to protect those I love and compassionate enough to be there for them when they needed a shoulder to cry on. I'd like to think I've become that man over the course of the past decade, and I have to attribute much of the reasons for that to him…I've lived the sort of life where you see a lot of people come and go." With an awkward smile, he held up three fingers. "I've fought in three wars, you know? I was just a kid during the first one, a young man in my second, and now I'm an adult. I've seen a lot of people die. A lot of good people. M-my mother—" His voice caught in his throat and he took a moment to himself, staring at the ring he always wore on his right hand. "My mother and father gave their lives so that I could live. They died protecting me. They…they loved me enough that they felt dying in my place would be worth it if only so that I could keep on fighting, fighting for a better future. Fighting for a better life. Xander was the same."

In the moment, his eyes seem to lock on to Kamui's, and a shudder ran down her spine. He smiled, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. "He was a man who knew what he cared about. He knew what he wanted to protect, even if it meant dying for someone else. I don't think that he'd want us to spend the rest of our lives mourning or feeling guilty for not being able to save him, but instead, moving forward. Because at the end of the day, that's all we can really do."

Muted claps rang throughout the area as Laslow stepped away from the grave, wiping the tears from his eyes as Odin put a hand on his shoulder. Kamui's own hands shuddered at her side.

Before she could collect her thoughts, she was met with the warm smile of Peri, who peeled a black veil away from her face and stood with her hands folded over each other before beginning to address the crowd. Kamui should have figured she would want to say something—that girl loved to talk.

"Hi, everyone! I'm sure most of you know me—I'm sort of infamous around here—but for the people that don't, my name is Peri! Laslow here is my husband, and I was Xander's other retainer for around eight years. Hm, how do I start this…alright!" Peri took a deep breath before beginning her speech. "I was a teenager when Xander took me on as his retainer, and believe me when I tell you that it was a super questionable decision on his part. Growing up, I wasn't really…normal. I watched my mother die at a young age, and I guess seeing that sort of broke something in me. Because of that, it took a long time for me to 'grow up', not to mention the fact that the way I valued human life was all sorts of out of whack, but I won't get into that." She giggled, as did many of those who knew her. "Xander took a chance on me, and I never did get the chance to ask him why, but…I think I understand now."

"When he first met me, Xander didn't see a mentally disturbed teenager who should have been locked up in an asylum somewhere and had the key thrown away, but a little girl who had been hurt by the world around her and was in desperate need of guidance, and he gave that to me. I was decent enough at swordsmanship when I became his retainer, but over time, he was able to take that talent and hone it into something that could be used for both the benefit of Nohr as well as myself. Not only could I protect and serve, but…well, to be completely honest with you all, fighting gave me an outlet to put all of my pent up frustrations into. As long as I had a fight to go back to, I didn't ever feel the urge to hurt anyone." Peri's smile slowly faded as the lighthearted energy she had bestowed upon the spectators did as well. She raised a hand to rub at her shoulder and let her head hang slightly. "It's…sort of morbid now that I think about it, but at least it kept me from attacking anyone who managed to piss me off. Eventually, with the help of Laslow and the support of a friend of mine, I was able to discover some things about myself and how to deal with it. I have something called borderline personality disorder and have been taking medication for it for a while now, and it's really improved basically everything about my life. The way I look at myself, the way I interact with other people, even the way I fight…"

Raising her head to once again look at everyone watching, Peri's smile returned in full force. Kamui could tell from experience, however, that there was a lingering sadness in her vibrant mismatched eyes. "If Xander never chose some childish noble girl with a liking for swordplay to be his retainer, I'd still be stuck at home throwing tantrums and trying to stick a knife in anyone that told me 'no'. I wouldn't have ever met my husband, had my daughter, or met my best friend. Xander…rescued me from a miserable life, and I'll always be grateful to him for that."

Peri gave a polite bow before stepping off to the side, another round of quiet applause beginning. Soleil cheered a bit too loudly, prompting Ophelia to shush her and scoldingly remind her that they were attending a funeral. Kamui mused on Peri's speech and tried her best to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She did not know what it was about that girl, but there was something about her that just made her so damn endearing. One particular part of her speech had hooked itself into Kamui's thoughts, however. While Peri had been taking what little medicine was available in Nohr in order to treat her affliction of the mind, Kamui had forgone the very idea of doing the same for herself. After all, what sort of general took antidepressants? It was a ludicrous notion, and it was not as if she and Peri were the same in that matter, anyway. Peri had a genuine mental illness while Kamui simply had to get over her woes and she would be as normal as any other woman her age, that was all.

"Are…are you going to say anything?"

Kamui turned to see the face of Elise, her blonde locks having been done up in the same style she had worn as a child for the occasion. She looked exhausted, as if simply being here was draining the life from her body.

"I don't know," Kamui whispered in response. "I…I don't think I would have anything substantial that couldn't be better said by someone else." The princess pressed her lips together, pausing for a moment. "Are you?"

Elise shook her head. "No. I don't like talking in front of a lot of people."

Nodding, Kamui returned her attention to the grave only to see her oldest nephew standing before it, his expression crestfallen and downcast. He did not raise his head even to speak.

"I wish to talk about my father for a moment," Siegbert said, his voice barely above a mumble. "I'm sure everyone in the nation knows that due to the unique circumstances of my upbringing, I was not often given the opportunity to get to know my father. I was only given a visit every few months, though for him it was much more frequent. Despite the fact that I did not know him as intimately as a son should before officially joining the ranks of Nohr's military, growing up, he was the ideal man that I strove to emulate. He was strong. He was noble. He was valiant. He was the perfect image of not only a soldier, but a prince. A future king, which is precisely what was to be when the time came. I would spend my days swinging a sword instead of conversing with my cousins and studying diplomacy and politics instead of doing any sort of recreational activity, all for the sake of becoming the man I admired most. Then, when I was called to assist my country in the war effort and spent more and more time with my father, I realized something."

Siegbert slowly raised his head, now facing the audience, and to Kamui's surprise, his eyes were filled with…something resembling anger. Frustration, perhaps. Whatever it was, she was shocked to see it coming from Siegbert of all people.

"My father was no paragon of virtue or chivalry. He was a man, and like all men, he was imperfect. Fallible. Sometimes he would brush me off in order to focus on whatever matters regarding the war he was engaged with. Other times he would shout at my mother when she would criticize him in a way he didn't want to hear. He never meant harm by any of it, but it changed the way I thought about him permanently. The same can be said for how my feelings towards him changed after his passing. Yes, he was the model of a perfect soldier. Revered across the country for his efforts in the war and his bravery displayed in battle. Though, in the days following his death, I found myself asking…does any of that fucking matter?"

Immediately, the shocked gasps of nobles filled the air and murmurs broke out. Forrest shielded his face in embarrassment while Velouria seemed to grin beneath that old hood of hers. Charlotte, face red as could be, began shuffling through the audience and towards her son.

Siegbert balled his fists and looked on at the spectators in anger. "Is it truly respectable to be willing to throw your life away simply for the glory of the same system that leaves thousands going to bed starving and being cast out onto the streets? Is it respectable to die for a king who threatens the people you love with death, torture, or rape?! Why, WHY should that snake's life be worth more than ours?! Because he's king? How does that elevate him above us in any way?! Because some document gave him a title, are we to lick his boots and drive our blades through our chests if he tells us to? A king is to respected because he helps his subjects and makes their lives better across the board—all that gods-forsaken man ever did was sit on his ass and revel in the opulence given to him by his rank while countless people died for him!"

Kamui held her tongue between her teeth as she witnessed Charlotte place a hand on her son's shoulder and attempt to usher him elsewhere, though he jerked away from her grasp and continued his vituperation. "Iago was the same as all you nobles, reaping the benefits of those ranked beneath you all the while looking down on them as if they were filthy! The soldiers that risk life and limb in the name of conquest, the servants that clean your homes and wash your clothes, the commoners who bow whenever you enter a room—they are the ONLY reason you all have any semblance of power, and don't you ever forget it."

The young man choked back a sob as his mother took him by the arm and began to pull him away from everyone's attention, tears welling in both of their eyes. "You vultures all talk about how he was a lionhearted soldier that children in the streets of Windmire should remember forever as a hero, but he was no hero, he was my FATHER! He was my father, damn it! Every last soldier that's died in the name of Nohr since the founding of our country, you all see as just names in a history book or numbers of a death toll, but each and every one of them were individuals just as my dad was! It isn't honorable to die a soldier's death—it never has been—it's foolish! To give your life in the name of a nation that couldn't give less of a shit about you, a nation that only sees you as a tool to be used to further its own agenda, do you know how many young men out there see that as the ideal? The minds of our youth have been poisoned with this propaganda, and YOU'RE all the ones who perpetuate it! YOU'RE all the reason my father spent his entire life striving to become the apotheosis of a perfect soldier and embody the so-called 'Nohrian excellence' that you insist should be the standard for all! I ask this of you: is it worth it? Is leaving countless widows and orphaned children behind in the name of conquest and glory worth it?"

Finally, Charlotte succeeded in pulling the boy off of his feet, palming away the tears from her face as Siegbert wailed. He let out a cry and anguish and screamed. "Damn you! Damn you all to hell and back!"

Some watched as the bawling boy was dragged off by his mothers while others averted their eyes. Many of the very aristocrats that had just been berated took it upon themselves to begin conversing among each other, completely doing away with any semblance of respect they were feigning for the funeral. Others chose to leave entirely.

Kamui forced the tears not to fall as she stormed off, walking towards nowhere in particular. Her entire body was trembling, so much so that she stumbled every few steps she took. Her heart raced in her chest and her lungs felt as if they had been filled with molasses. When she felt that she was on the verge of doubling over, she braced herself against one of the numerous effigies erected in the cemetery and forced herself to take in large gulps of air, though keeping her breath steady seemed like an impossible task.

She heard a voice from behind her. "Kamui? Are you okay?"

"No," she answered promptly. "I don't know why I thought coming here would be a good idea. I know that I don't handle matters like this well, but I came anyway, and look what happened. The same thing everyone knew would happen; the same thing that I was afraid of. How? I spent my entire life disciplining myself to be able to keep my composure and here I am throwing a fit because of a speech dedicated to my own dead brother. Gods, what's wrong with—"

"Hey, hey, slow down. Breathe." Elise tenderly placed her hand on her sister's back and gave her a small and compassionate smile. "Look, all those stuffy counts and marquises aren't even concerned with you, so don't worry about them at all. Instead, why don't you focus on the people who really care about you?"

Opposite Elise, Silas knelt down so that he was at eye-level with his wife. "Elise, as usual, is right. Those guys will probably forget about this in a week, so—"

"It's not them," Kamui interrupted, squeezing her eyes shut. "It's that…everything Siegbert just said is true. Why do we live in a nation like this? None of us have ever even questioned the way things are, we just fall in line and fulfill the roles expected of us like dogs. Gods, Silas, you're one of those very same men he mentioned near the end. What if you died in battle? Would someone report to your parents claiming that you died a noble and honorable death serving your country? Would they go around bragging about how their son died a good soldier's death as if that was something to be proud of?"

Silas frowned. "Well, the only reason I became a knight is because I would have been killed otherwise, keep that in mind. You have a point, though. The way that Nohrian culture glorifies war and lionizes soldiers is…messed up, to say the least, but hey, think of it this way. Camilla's the queen now, and the upside to a monarchy is that its ruler has a lot of power. Well, actually, I guess that's sort of a downside…" He muttered something under his breath before continuing, shaking his head. "Never mind. Point is, she can do a lot from her seat on the throne. Reducing our military size, eliminating the sort of propaganda we've put out for generations—hell, she could restructure the entire aristocracy if she wanted. It'll take a while, but we can do a lot of work to undo the damage that's been done by the people who used to be in charge."

Steadily, Kamui's breath normalized and she opened her eyes once again, though pressed her lips together. While they could certainly make a difference in Nohr now that Camilla was in power, did that mean that the millions of lives lost in the numerous wars their country had waged since its inception were worth it? Did that fact lift the weight of the lives of those who had died under her command from her shoulders? No, of course it didn't. They had all still perished for an unjust society, and she and all of her companions had been complicit in it. Still, her body ceased its trembling and she found that she was able to stand up straight once again, her nerves having been quelled for the time being.

The princess sighed, not meeting the eyes of either her sister or her husband. "I…I don't understand how you two aren't sick of this by now. Picking me up again and again only for me to fall back down by the end of the week. You shouldn't have to do this. I should just be better."

"Kamui." Silas brushed a silver lock of hair from her face and gently turned her head so that she faced him. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. We love you. None of us are going to let you sit around wallowing in your own sadness, we're going to do the best we can to cheer you up no matter what. What sort of husband would I be if I just ignored you whenever you were upset? And you already know how Elise is. That girl will do everything in her power to make you happy."

Elise shrugged and mumbled. "It's what I'm here for…"

"Look, let's head back to the others. All we have to do is stand around and listen to some condolences for the next hour or so. After that, we stop back at Krakenburg and can head straight to the canyon if you don't want to stay the night. The faster you get away from these pompous assholes, the better."

Finally raising her eyes to look at her husband, Kamui stared for a moment before nodding in affirmation, standing up straight and beginning to walk back towards the gathering of friends and strangers. "Thank you. I think I'll do just that."

"If any of them ask you why you suddenly left like that, tell them an associate wanted to talk to you privately," Elise advised.

Kamui nodded again as she walked with her husband and little sister behind her, just as they had practically always been. It felt natural. Silas, Elise, and so many more were always there to support her, and she knew that, so then why did she consistently feel so alone during her depressive spells? It was as if she were sitting in a black void whose vastness seemed to stretch on eternally, the weight of her sins constantly resting on her shoulders, completely and utterly isolated.

Just get over it, Kamui, she told herself. There are more important matters at hand than your whining.

When not under the influence of a malevolent ancient dragon, Corrin was usually good at keeping himself calm. That being said, his heart immediately began to pound in his chest upon laying eyes on the Nohrian troops approaching the Bottomless Canyon from afar.

He had been anticipating this moment for well over a week at this point, but now that it had arrived, he was nervous as all hell. From this point forward, he and his most trusted soldiers would be allying themselves with those whom they had just concluded a war that lasted half a decade with. Naturally, most of them were not eager to be playing nice with Nohrians, though they all agreed to cooperate in the end. If this was what had to be done in order to stand a chance at defeating Anankos, then so be it.

In addition to that, there was the fact that they would all be diving into unknown territory with the intent to slay an enemy they barely knew anything about. No one knew how long it would take or where they should start to search first, traversing the floating islands of Valla would certainly be dangerous, they would not be able to contact the outside world for an unknown period of time…this was certainly going to be a treacherous endeavor, but still a necessary one.

"You appear to be uneasy. That's rare."

Corrin turned to meet Azura's eyes, dark bags hanging heavy underneath. Evidently she had not slept well the past few days. Many hadn't, but for Azura, she seemed to have been the one most physically affected by the final battle of the war. From her unusually pale skin to the way her aquamarine hair seemed to have lost much of its sheen, Corrin had to wonder whether her special song was to blame or if it was something else.

"You're right, I am. This is new for all of us, you know. It'll be hard, but…we have to do it, right?"

Azura gave a solemn nod as Midori stepped up to her side. "Of course. If not us, then who?"

"Um, Mom?" the small girl began, a concerned look on her face. "I know you told me to save them for when we have to fight, but is it alright if I give one of my vulneraries to Asugi? He's not so great with heights, and Shiro keeps tricking him into looking down into the canyon…"

That brought a smile to the princess' face. "Of course, of course. They're yours to use as you see fit, you know, since you made them yourself. I was only warning you not to use them haphazardly, since they're very valuable."

"Got it! Thank you!" Midori gave a heart nod and ran off in the direction that she came from, shouting Shiro's name as she went.

Corrin looked fondly at his niece as she fled. "Are you…are you sure about bringing her along? It'll be dangerous."

"Are you sure about bringing Kara along?"

He almost scoffed. "Of course I am. I wasn't sure about involving her in war at first, but she's proven herself time and time again to be capable of holding her own against grown adults. The same goes for Kotomi as well."

"And Midori is the same. Skittish as she may be, it would do you well to not mistake that for weakness. She hasn't lost life or limb yet, has she?"

"Be that as it may, we don't know what sort of enemies await us. You recall the man who seized my sword from me on the day Mother died and appeared on the ferry we took to Cyrkensia? I fear he may not be of this world. The way he fought was…terrifying. If we encounter him or anyone like him, then we can't have any liabilities holding us back."

Azura glared. "I assure you, Midori is not a 'liability'. I'm not going to argue this with you any further."

Thinning his eyes at her, Corrin had to force himself not to retort and instead opted to simply concede. He had been through enough sibling arguments for one lifetime, after all. While he understood Azura's reluctance to call Midori anything other than exceptional, he was only thinking of what was best for everyone. What if Midori were to fall in battle? Would Azura spend the rest of her life resenting herself for not making her stay behind? All he was trying to do was prevent that future from coming to fruition, but Azura was acting far too headstrong to see that her daughter was not an elite Hoshidan warrior, but rather a little girl who was just a little more proficient with a naginata than most.

The two stood in silence for a few minutes before the small caravan of Nohrian troops came to a stop. One by one, familiar faces stepped out from the vehicles and onto the stone of the Bottomless Canyon, stretching their legs and taking hold of their weapons and provisions, many of them taking the time to ensure that their materiel was all accounted for and ready to be utilized. Corrin kept a sharp eye out for one particular individual and his ear twitched upon picking up the sound of her soft voice among the rabble and sound of materials being shifted around.

Kamui was exchanging words with her son at her right as they walked towards Corrin. Her daughter was on her left, a nervous smile on her face. Kamui looked up from Kana to meet her brother's eyes and grinned upon doing so, waving. Corrin and Azura both waved back.

"How was the funeral?" Corrin asked when they were close enough. "Again, sorry I couldn't make it."

"It was fine," Kamui answered with a shrug. She spoke nonchalantly, but Corrin knew his sister well enough to be able to tell she wasn't being transparent with him. "More people than I expected showed up. We buried him almost next to Father's grave." Changing the subject as soon as it had begun, she patted the backs of both her children. "You guys haven't had the chance to formally meet yet, have you? Kana, Sophie, go ahead and introduce yourselves to your uncle Corrin."

Kana stared up at the prince with cold eyes, his jaw clenched. Still, he feigned an amicable smile. "I'm Kana. It's nice to meet you."

Sophie chimed in before Corrin could respond. "A-and I'm Sophie! Gods, I've heard so much about you ever since I was a kid. I've always wanted to properly meet you, you know." She extended a stiff arm with a beaming grin on her face. Now that her convalescence had ended, she was even more lively than she had been before being crushed beneath a several ton pillar of stone.

Taking the girl's hand and giving it a firm shake, Corrin found himself staring at her. While she took after her father when it came to looks for the most part, he could sense within her something he felt in her mother as well. There was a drive to prove herself that had taken the form of a fire raging within her very soul. He figured that she was the type to spend all day training, just like Kamui or even Hinoka once had.

His eyes drifted over to Kana, who had looked away the moment he finished speaking. He, too, had inherited some traits from his mother. He was stubborn, had a short temper, and from what little experience Corrin had with him, possessed the same need to put a wall between himself and others lest they get too close. Every conversation they had had up until that point had been curt and frank, though, Corrin felt that he had to share in the blame for that. He made a mental note to find a private time to apologize to the boy before releasing his niece's hand.

"I'm flattered! I'm sure my daughters would love to get to know you both as well. Would you like me to go fetch them?"

Azura gently cleared her throat to draw their attention. "As pleasant as that sounds, do keep in mind that it would do us well not to waste any time idling. In fact, I believe that Ryoma is about to address everyone in just a moment."

Sure enough, once both the Nohrians and Hoshidans were gathered, Ryoma stood before them with his posture straight and shoulders back, projecting his booming voice outwards even though he was truly not speaking to all that many people. The only ones present were Kamui's most trusted allies and Corrin's most trusted allies, which only totaled to about fifty soldiers. The twins had thought it best to keep their numbers low, both to allow for ease of travel as well as minimize the amount of casualties that would occur if they were to fail.

"Soldiers! I stand before many of you today as your king, but for the others, I have been an enemy for years. Today, I ask of you to set aside any ill will you may harbor towards me or my men and work with us as comrades in arms. I also ask my men to extend the same courtesy to our newfound Nohrian allies."

Oboro scowled at the phrase 'Nohrian allies', though returned her face to normal after a gentle nudge from Takumi.

"In the next minute or so, we will begin our journey to search for and defeat what is certain to be the greatest enemy any one of us has or ever will face in our entire lives. This enemy is enigmatic—practically invisible to us, but be that as it may, I swear on my honor as king and a samurai that we will find and defeat this beast. I'm certain that you've all been made aware of the true nature of our adversary by now, so I won't waste any time going over things you already know. This campaign is likely to be long and arduous, but in the end, it will all be worth it in order to ensure a brighter, better future for both of our nations and for the world." The king took a deep breath before continuing. "Though I may be the one giving this speech to you all, you will be under the joint command of Prince Corrin and Princess Kamui. It is essential that you heed every order they give, even if it hurts you to be under the authority of someone who you have spent years thinking of as your enemy. To my people, if it eases your nerves, I…I trust Kamui with my life. I urge you to keep this in mind during battle."

Corrin took a quick glance at his sister and noticed a single bead of sweat roll down her reddened face.

Turning his back on his addressees, Ryoma took a step towards the canyon itself. "Now, we begin. Steel your nerves, take a deep breath, and…try to avoid the walls."

And with that, Hoshido's king sprinted forward and leapt into the abyss below.

In a cacophony of invigorated cheers and horrified screams, the soldiers of two nations followed suit, jumping into the blackness of the canyon one by one. Peri held her knees to her chest and laughed as she fell, Saizo silently plummeted face first with his body straight, and Mitama cried out in terror while Shiro jubilantly cheered beside her. Azura gave the twins a reassuring look before showing a surprising display of speed and sprinting into the black pit that was the canyon.

Sophie took notice of her little brother's uneasy expression and snickered, ruffling his hair. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" she said before taking off. Kana gasped and began pursuing her without so much as a second thought, determination on his face.

"You can glide, right?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, but my control in the air is…well, limited, to put it lightly. I'll likely just have to drop like a rock like everyone else."

A sly smile overtook the prince's face and he shook his head. "Nah, I've got you."

"Hm?" Before she could even process what was happening, Nohr's princess found herself being carried bridal-style across the canyon floor, her brother's wings fully extended and the wind rushing past her face. She yelped in surprise and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face against his shoulder. "I swear to the gods, if you drop me, I'll clip those stupid wings of yours myself!"

"No promises!" Corrin laughed all the while zooming over the stone before he reached the canyon itself, then folding in his wings and allowing himself to fall, cherishing the feeling of his sister practically squeezing the life out of him as they plummeted towards the foreign and enigmatic world that awaited them.

This time, they emerged on what seemed to be the highest suspended island in the area, allowing them to look down at the dozens of other landmasses of varying sizes that drifted through the air like clouds. The sun was at its zenith and shining its rays down on all of them, which made for a good lightsource as Corrin spread out an old-looking map on the lush green grass. The map was incomplete, many of the islands having not been charted.

"You come out at the same place every time depending on where you enter from, and since we got here via the Bottomless Canyon, we should be…here." Shigure tapped one of the larger islands on the map, and sure enough, it was the highest one depicted. Corrin marked the location with a stick of charcoal before pocketing it, then taking a closer look at the map.

"Alright, you two are the Valla experts here. Any idea of where we should start?"

Azura nodded. "There's a library not too far east of here. I remember reading a book there claiming that the dwelling of the Silent Dragon was located even further east than that. I never dared make the journey there myself, and thinking about it now, it's possible that it was a misdirection. If that same library was wrong about the Valla curse, then…"

Corrin pursed his lips before letting out a sigh, folding the map and handing it off to Felicia. "If that's all we have to go off of, then we have to trust it for now. On that note, how exactly are we supposed to get around all of these floating islands? Are we to be ferried back and forth on what few pegasi we have?"

"No, of course not. You may have not seen it yourself from any of the places you've been to thus far, but all of those small islands out in the distance? They're practically worthless. Any island with anything significant to it is connected to at least one other by…well, bare with me here, a suspension bridge made of rope and wood. Wood that is likely to be old and rotted by now."

Corrin blinked. "A rope bridge. We're supposed to move fifty people across a rope bridge."

All Azura could do was give a hopeful smile and a shrug. "One at a time for safety's sake, I suppose? Think of it this way, if anyone fall, they'll just end up back at the Bottomless Canyon. Alone. And they'll have to jump back in and find their way back to the rest of us…" After a moment's thought, she put a hand on her chin and mumbled. "Perhaps this is more treacherous than I initially thought."

"Use your head, Corrin," Kamui advised as she tapped on her own temple. "You can put everyone in the Astral Plane for a moment, fly across yourself, open the doorway, and just like that everyone's safe on the other side.

"I—" Corrin raised a finger to retort, but to his frustration, she was completely right. "Hm. Yeah…yeah, that's true. Alright, it looks like getting around won't be as hard as I thought. You have your peoples' horses waiting in the wings back at your camp in the Astral Plane, right?"

"Of course. Do you?"

"Naturally." Corrin shared a smirk with his sister and for a moment was reminded of those halcyon days in their younger years where they would banter between training sessions and laugh together, before Kamui's cold exterior hardened beyond the point of him being able to fully break through. The nostalgic feeling brought forth a warmth in his chest, a warmth that was promptly extinguished and replaced with caution when he heard something whizzing towards him.

"Corrin!"

Had it not been for Kagero deftly snatching it out of the air at the last second, Corrin would have had his chest pierced by a steel-tipped arrow. He grit his teeth and drew the Blazing Yato from its scabbard.

"We're here not five minutes and already the Silent Dragon is sending his minions after us. Great," he muttered as he conjured up a door to the Astral Plane, his sister doing the same beside him. "Cavalry, mount your horses promptly and prepare for battle! We're under attack!"

While Camilla, Elise, Peri, and Sophie ran through Kamui's portal, Hinoka, Subaki, and Matoi did the same with Corrin's. Meanwhile, the Assassin Prince stood tall with his weapon in hand, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of his assailant.

"Well? Show yourself! If we're going to fight, then it would do you well to reveal yourself now before Kaden or Selkie sniff you out and crush your skull in their jaws!" he shouted.

His demand was promptly heeded, though what he saw was the last thing he expected. As the figure shifted from a near invisible mirage to a fully tangible human being, Corrin's eyes widened and his shoulders slacked, the Blazing Yato nearly slipping out of his grip. His stomach rose into his throat and he felt hot tears fill his eyes at the sight of what he saw.

She stood not far from them all, her arrow still poised on the prince and that familiar calm, gentle expression on her face. Then, she smiled at him, happy to see someone that she knew so intimately. It had been a long time, after all.

"Hi, Corrin," Setsuna said with a melodic inflection. "It's good to see you again."

She let loose a second arrow.

A/N: Phew! Dearest readers, let the epilogue begin! Sorry this took over a month since IFWIS ended, the last couple weeks of college are always the most stressful. But hey, hopefully I'll be able to give more frequent updates over the summer. This of course is going to be only around six chapters long, so I'm looking to have it finished by September or so. That being said, I hope you've enjoyed, and if you're reading this without having read If Fate Wills It so...whaddya doin'? Get outta 'ere, you've got a 330K word fic to read before this!

I'll see you in the next one~!