Corrin rushed forward, ignoring everything else around her as she caught Liz's falling body. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, her hands grasping at anything she could to keep her lover from hitting the ground. Her hand grasped something slick and wet, and when she brought it up, her hand was coated in blood.

"Elise!" Corrin screamed, "Sakura! Help me!"

So focused on Liz she was, Corrin didn't notice the castle shaking again. It was a low rumbling, barely noticeable by anyone else either, but it was there. Anankos' real body was nowhere to be found; all that remained was a hole at the back of the throne where it had once been.

The low rumbling turned into a hum as Corrin dragged Liz away from the throne. Sakura and Elise, protected by Scarlet and Lucina, tended to Liz as Corrin stood up, looking down at her.

A faint trail of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her ponytail had been undone, leaving her hair to sprawl out from her head. Her eyes were closed, her skin paler than before, and of course, the horrible wound in her chest.

Despite all that, however, the one thing that kept Corrin from devolving into a raging beast at the sight of her, was the fact that her chest still moved up and down. Shallowly, but enough to remind Corrin that she was not dead. Not yet. And with the glowing of Elise and Sakura's healing staff and festal, she knew that there was a good chance that everything would be fine.

Is that… is this what the Rainbow Sage meant? Is this what he told her? She said…

Corrin had a feeling that Liz was finally, permanently free from Anankos' control. She hoped above all else that that was true, at least.

"Lady Corrin," Lucina said to her side. Corrin snapped out of her thoughts. "Something is happening. Ready yourself. I don't think it's over yet."

Corrin looked down at Yato, still alight with brilliant serrated fire, illuminating the dark hall with its light. She nodded.

"Ready yourselves," Corrin ordered, looking to the throne. "I don't know what she has planned, but Lucina is right. This isn't over yet."

"I've had enough fighting here to last a lifetime," Takumi groaned, "Can't this idiot stay down?"

"Perhaps you could tell her you are tired, Takumi," Camilla supplied, her axe wet. "I'm sure she will see to it that you are well-attended to. Perhaps she will even offer you a job."

"There's that good Nohrian wit I've grown accustomed to," Takumi replied, turning to his older brother. "Do you think we could import that once this is all over? We could use a few jesters in our court."

"My apologies for my younger brother's glibness, Prince Xander," Ryoma intoned, "We can discuss reparations for that particular atrocity once this is over."

"No need," Xander said, sighing. "Fighting alongside you all is enough. Let us end this."

The humming returned to a low rumbling as cracks formed in the ceiling. Bits and pieces of stone fell to the floor, becoming bigger and bigger as the rumbling grew in intensity. Before long, an explosion rang in Corrin's eardrums, making them ring as she covered them.

"Everyone!" Corrin shouted, "Get to cover! Now! Before the ceiling comes down on our heads!"

The rumbling became a roar, sundering the very structure of Castle Gyges itself. Fissures opened up in the floor, bringing everyone to a standstill as they looked for places to hide. The roof was little more than bits of stone at that point, waiting to come crumbling to the floor. It was as if they were caught in the world's worst and most localized earthquake.

Finally, the hole where Anankos' body once slithered out of blew open, innumerable eyes staring out of the darkness it provided before the entire wall exploded into nothing but pulverized dust. What remained of Castle Gyges' throne room was exposed to Valla's sky. A sea of stars is what greeted them, but beyond that, Corrin's mouth went dry.

It was like looking into an unending abyss. An orb hung over them, where Valla's sun used to be. Before it, islands and ruins swirled, pulled into its gravity. It was like looking into a massive maw, and for one brief moment, Corrin wondered if it was Anankos' maw.

She was proven wrong a moment later, in the worst way possible.

A head moved into her vision, obstructing her view of the black orb. It reminded Corrin of Anankos' head the first time she saw it, at the battle on the sea. It had been a normal head then, by dragon's standards she surmised, but the thing she was looking at then could barely be described as a head. Spikes and spires of scales and what seemed to be trees burst out of the top. A large mouth, split and forced open by an orb inside. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of eyes laid inside that orb, shifting and moving as if searching for a better view. They glowed gold.

What Corrin could only assume was Anankos' true and terrible form pushed itself away from Castle Gyges, using its massive wings to lift itself into the air. It circled around the black hole nearby, unaffected by its pull, before swinging back around and surging straight towards the opening in the castle. With two massive forelegs, it crashed into the castle, ripping apart what remained of the walls and ceiling, sending bits of stone and mortar into the air, pulverizing it. Before long, all that remained of the throne room was a platform.

Valla was slowly crumbling. Corrin could only imagine that Anankos was trying to take them all with her, to ensure that, even if she died, they would be given the benefit of seeing the future they won for the world.

"Well," Takumi mumbled, "Uh, what now?"

Corrin felt her lips twitch as she frowned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Seeing her mother turn into such a beast was horrifying, certainly, but another emotion flared up in her stomach. One she needed to keep a handle on.

Rage.

She had dealt with rage before. The deep primal emotion that made her lose control could be called it, but it always felt like something more. Something lurking just beneath the surface.

One hand tightened around Yato's grip, while the other nearly bored a hole straight through her own palm. Corrin looked down at Liz one more time, and then back to the dragon that had haunted her her whole life.

"Take care of her for me," Corrin said, pleadingly, "We need to finish this, once and for all."

"How do you propose we fight that? How does one fight a beast of that size?" Xander asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

"By going for its weak points," Lucina answered, twirling Falchion. "There has to be weak spots. Chinks in the armor. Perhaps that eyed stone in its maw is one as well, or maybe its forelimbs. Whatever the case, we need to find it."

"She's right," Corrin said, planting Yato's tip in the ground. "Not only do we have all of the legendary weapons on our side, but Yato itself has awoken. We cannot lose. Not here. Not now. I asked you before if you all were with me. Is that still true? Will you follow me still, even when faced with this abomination?"

Her rage, that primal emotion, fell away as, without hesitation, her friends and siblings stepped forward. Liz would be fine. She saw to that. It was only a matter of ensuring her sacrifice would not be in vain. No doubt her actions had drawn Anankos out, stopping her from toying with them forever.

Corrin pointed Yato's tip at Anankos. "With me, then!"

Liz's world was a blurry mess of shapes and sounds she couldn't understand or fathom. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope – and her mind refused to make sense of the infinite abyss. Slowly, however, she became aware of one color: green. The color of healing that she had seen so many times before. Over time, her vision steadied, and she could see people above her, one with blonde hair with purple highlights, and another with light red. She blinked several times, the blurriness vanishing as her hearing returned as well.

Unfortunately, she also became aware of the horrible wound she inflicted on herself. She looked down as the two healers squawked over each other like a pair of birds. An angry, red wound, barely healed, laid in the middle of her chest, just beneath the ravaged clothes. It hurt to breathe, she realized, and her voice came out as a strained whisper that she could barely hear.

"Oh…" Liz said quietly, "T-that's not good…"

"Don't s-speak!" the one with red hair pleaded, "E-er, please? It's not healthy for you to speak right now."

Liz lightly nodded, acquiescing to the girl's request. She could hear nearby the sounds of battle. The clanking of armor, the slashing of swords, the breaking of scales, it was all very familiar. She could still remember looking through her own body's eyes, unable to control anything she did as Anankos endlessly toyed with everyone. Rage boiled in her chest, an unholy heat she was familiar with but could not act upon.

Before long, she found herself drifting off again, but the sounds never went away.

She found herself in the world between worlds again. The aching at her chest was gone. Everything was gone, but she was still there, moving, walking, talking.

She saw a man in front of her. An ancient man, and ancient being, a dragon of unimaginable power and of ungodly pain. Her eyes reflected the sun's light, shining like rainbows in the eternal dark-light. She could feel the pity from him as he stared at her. It made her feel small, like she had lost. She could feel the apology come soon after.

"This is our fault," he said, "this is our hubris, our own doom, come upon a new and innocent race. We used them as pawns, as soldiers in a war that only mattered to us. Our petty squabbles."

"Not me," Liz replied, "not me. I'm not from here."

"So you are not," the entity replied, "you are something else, something other. You are human, but not from here. Were it not for the blood in your veins, you would be more normal than any normal person from here. Perhaps that is why she used you instead of killing you. You were malleable, easily controlled, easily sundered. But that is not how this will end."

"Then tell me," Liz pleaded, "tell me how it will end!"

"Your soul is your own. It may be connected to Anankos for now, but it is still you. And you have access to her weapon. Her bow. Skadi. It has been absorbed by her, but it is also yours now. Steal it. Claim it from her claws and use it against her."

"How?" Liz asked, holding her arms out. "How can I do that? She's strong, goddamnit, stronger than anything I've ever seen!"

"Humanity is stronger still," the Sage said, nodding and smiling. "I have seen it. I know not how you came here, though I suppose it might have something to do with those who came before. They are pale things now, far from here, but their constructs remain. I can feel them in the fabric. Innocent, yet guilty all the same. But that is not important. You are human. You have will. Do you want to save Corrin?"

"Yes!"

"Do you wish to live with her forever?"

"Yes!"

"Then take it," the Sage said, "I believe in you, as I have believed in all humans. End this nightmare of a thousand years. Find your way home. I believe in you."

I believe in you.

Liz awoke again with a gasp. Faster than before, her vision came back. She could breathe, her arms screamed at her, ordering her to move. She pushed past the two healers at her side, unhearing of their pleas for her to lay back down. She had a job to do.

The voice echoed in her head, again and again. It wasn't like Anankos' voice – cold and unforgiving, ruthless and unfeeling. The voice was warm, resplendent, it gave her life, gave her purpose. She could hear it in every fiber of her being.

I believe in you.

A bow began to take form in her hand, its form purified, its purpose renewed. It was the same bow as before, and yet it was not. But with it, Anankos' doom was sealed. The Silent Dragon would be silenced.

Liz could see them, scurrying about Anankos' feet like ants around a lizard. Their swords did damage, and their shields blocked glancing blows, but they were losing. Already, several of them had fallen. Dead or not, she could not tell. What she could see was a flash of red hair amongst the group surrounding one leg, and a flash of white occupying the head. She needed to help them, and by the grace of the Rainbow Sage, she would.

With purpose, she strung the ethereal bow back, and an arrow of dark-light formed.

There was little choice, but Severa couldn't help but feel like there was a different approach to attacking a giant, twenty ton dragon hopped up on Valla juice. Anankos was even uglier than she had imagined in her dreams, even more powerful than her human form had told her, years ago. Requiem made short work of the Vallites that came upon them and attacked them, but it was still slow going.

Owain was batted to the side as Anankos' forelimb moved, trying to swat them all away like flies as they swarmed about her feet. Severa snarled as she saw Owain fall away, coming to ground nearby. Camilla was upon him within an instant, dragging him away and glaring at the offending limb, daring it to try and attack again. It never came, but Severa refused to go away empty handed.

Requiem was in her grasp. Her father's sword.

Wind blew past her, causing her hair to flow with it. The unearthly feeling of Valla had grown so familiar, she almost didn't feel it. She gripped Requiem tightly.

"Alright," she snarled, "let's get this over with!"

Severa didn't slow down when her leg was slashed open by an errant Vallite's sword, and she didn't stop when she was nearly completely knocked off her feet by the movement of the giant limb. Before a killing blow could even land on her, a shuriken from far off stuck itself in the offender's neck, and he fell down dead. Even from afar, Kaze was watching over her.

You're too good for me.

With one last huff, she raised Requiem high, its blade practically glowing with starlight, before stabbing it into Anankos' foot. Blood spewed from the wound, a color Severa didn't expect – brown. The color of muddy water. As stagnant and corrupted as its owner.

The scream she heard a moment was worth being knocked out a moment later.

Lucina wiped blood from her lip, holding Falchion to her side.

The battle was not going well. She could see that one of Anankos' limbs had been detached – flying off the platform they fought on as if it had been manually unhooked. There was only one person who could have given them that edge, and she smiled as she thought of her.

That smile quickly turned into a look of horror as she saw that entire section of the platform fall away into the abyss. Lucina prayed that Severa made it away in time. She had no idea what awaited them should they all fall into that abyss.

"Go for the foot!" Lucina said, "break her grasp on the platform! Go, go!"

Other's fought alongside her, but they were broken upon Anankos' armor. Xander was still beside her, however, and Falchion was still in her grasp.

"Xander…" Lucina said, her voice quiet as the ghostly wind of what was left of Valla blew past them, chilling their bones. "These could be our last moments. Is there anything you wish to say before we…?"

Xander held Siegfried up. "You already know what it is I would say. I will save it for when we meet in Nohr again."

Lucina closed her eyes. "Very well. I will hold you to that."

She held Falchion to her side, blue flames flickering along the blade, the power of Aether. Xander was right by her side the entire way, Siegfried glowing in a subtle red. They took hit after hit as they charged Anankos' limb, but neither of them were taken out or destroyed. They pushed past whatever was thrown their way, and eventually, they made it.

Lucina struck first. Falchion cut through Anankos' scales like a hot knife through butter. Muddy blood spewed from the grievous wound. Siegfried struck second, cutting through the scales almost as easily as Falchion had. With the second wound, the limb was forced to move away from the platform.

Unfortunately for them, Anankos was not through with them. Before the limb fell away like a rotten branch on a tree, it slammed against the stone, destroying the platform where they stood.

Lucina knew not what awaited them in the depths below, but she knew she was not alone. And that would have to be enough.

Corrin was in the biggest and most destructive battle of her entire life, and she felt every inch of her body scream at her to stop. To fall back and rest. But she knew she couldn't do that. She was too close, too certain that there was no retreat. Her body's demands were left ignored, and Yato's edge guided her through.

By her side stood Ryoma and Scarlet. Their weapons were stained a greyish-brown with Anankos' foul blood. Before them all, stood Anankos' massive head. It easily dwarfed all of them, and even if they stood on top of each other's shoulders, they would have to look up to see into the giant's maw.

Corrin could see every ugly detail of her mother; it looked as if she was rotting. Her scales were growing strange tree-like appendages. Antlers, not too dissimilar to her own, sprouted from her head, the only thing about her that seemed to be unbroken by time or madness.

Of course, all of that detail paled in comparison to the orb jammed into her mouth. It seemingly rolled around, opening different eyes at different times. Seven eyes would open at once, while another pair would roll into place and stare.

Corrin was certain she would have nightmares about it for the rest of her life. Whether or not that was very long, remained to be seen.

With two of her limbs broken away, Anankos leaned down, almost as if she was analyzing them, judging them.

"You will win," she finally said, "You will win, Corrin. My child. But at what cost."

"I've had enough talking to you!" Corrin shouted, "after everything you've done, you do not have the right to call me your child! You are not my mother! You are a pale imitation! My mother is dead!"

"Perhaps," Anankos admitted, "the mother that gave birth to you is a part of me, however. I have her memories. She is dead, but she still dreams. I know what she wanted you to become, what she wanted you to grow up to be…"

Her voice came as a deep grumble, low and foreboding as Corrin's feet were rooted in place.

Ryoma and Scarlet, however, didn't wait. Ryoma charged, Raijinto sparking as she slashed. Scarlet's serrated axe was next, smashing against Anankos' left. Blood splattered against the ground, but it was not enough. With a shake of her head, they were both cast away. Their damage done, they fell away into the abyss.

Corrin screamed.

"Ryoma! Scarlet! You-!"

"They are not the only ones," Anankos said, her bloodied face looking from left to right. All Corrin heard was silence. The parts of the platform where her friends, her family had been, were all gone. Nothing but crumbling rock and splattered blood remained. Corrin felt her breath leave her in ragged gasps. She was alone. Not even Sakura and Elise seemed to be nearby. The ghostly wind of Valla blew against her, chilling her bones as she glanced upwards at her mother.

"Such fragile things, humans are," Anankos mused, "Most can take a beating, but other times a simple fall is enough to kill you. There are hundreds of weak points in their bodies. It would be nothing but sheer arrogance to say that I have none, but not nearly as many as that."

"They're…" Corrin said, swallowing a growing lump in her throat. Her skin felt cold and clammy. "I'm alone. We're alone."

"Indeed. Not even my Vallites can reach me now," Anankos stated, her head swaying from side to side. "Your friends, your siblings, they fought valiantly, but so did their fathers and mothers, and you know what happened to them. They came here to seal me away, and they were at least partially successful. For two decades, I could not affect the physical world. But my essence rubbed off on them. And since I was not dead, they would become parts of me."

"You…" Corrin shakily stood up, Yato still in hand. "I will stop you. I swear it."

"You can try. And perhaps you will succeed. But you will perish," Anankos concluded. "You will perish and fall away into the dark below. Are you prepared to find what lies there? Perhaps you will end up in the normal world, or perhaps deep things even more foul than I will gnaw on your bones. It is something I have never gone to investigate. Perhaps, even, you will find the dragons that your sister swore herself to."

"Lilith…" Corrin whimpered, "Why did you kill her? Why?"

Anankos, true to her epithet, became as silent as the grave. It was so quiet, Corrin could hear her own ears ringing, hear the blood flowing through her veins, screaming at her to move. To act. But she couldn't. The fight had been taken out of her.

"Will you try it?" Anankos asked, "Will you try and kill me? I will defend myself, but with my death, Valla will disappear. It will become the kingdom all before the last generation will have suspected; a land of myth, of fantasy. And I will become nothing more than a bad memory."

Her mother's words sunk into Corrin's very being. She knew something was wrong. She wanted to fight, to answer Yato's flaming brilliance, but in the final, pivotal moment, she felt as if she-

An arrow of dark-light flashed through the endless night of Valla's ruin. In seconds, it slammed into the orb inside of Anankos' mouth. She reared her head up, screaming as she tried to claw at the arrow embedded into her orb before it vanished of its own volition. Corrin whipped her head around, looking for the source of the projectile.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Liz there, an unearthly bow in hand and holding her chest as she approached.

"That was for trying to manipulate Corrin, you big bad dragon bitch!" Liz snarled, pulling back on her bow's ethereal string and launching another arrow at Anankos, this time hitting her directly in the eye. "And that, was for all the hell you put me and everyone else through!"

Corrin let out a breath, staring a Liz. Liz turned to her, a small smile on her face.

"Did you miss me?" Liz asked, "No, wait, don't answer that. I think I already know the answer. It's all over your face-!"

Liz yelped as an arm encircled her neck, and she was pulled into an embrace. Closing her eyes, Liz enjoyed the moment for all that it was worth, but considering they still had a dragon to kill, they weren't like that for very long. After a moment, Corrin released her, and Liz saw that she had tears streaming down her face.

"I…" Corrin sniffled, "I'm glad you're here."

"Did ya think a little stab like that would kill me?" Liz asked, crossing her arms briefly while keeping an eye on the recoiling Anankos at all times. "I, uh, sorry about that, by the way. I know it wasn't what you were expecting but it was the only way I thought I could-!"

Corrin briefly kissed her, silencing her for a moment before moving back, a small smile on her face. "What matters to me is that you're here now. We still have a job to do."

Liz nodded, looking around. "I didn't notice that everyone else was gone. Did they…?"

Corrin's expression fell. "They fell into the dark, yes, when Anankos collapsed parts of the platform. I don't- I don't know what happened to them, but whatever it is, it doesn't matter. It's just us now, and we cannot leave without Anankos dead."

The bow in Liz's right hand glowed with anticipation, making her look down. Liz smiled.

"I think I've got a way to cover you while you tear her apart with that fucking chainsaw you have," Liz said.

Corrin raised a brow. "Chain-saw? I don't understand, why would you make a saw out of chains?"

Liz waved her free hand as she readied herself. "Not important, Candy Corn. Let's do this."

Corrin wanted to ask more, but took Liz's advice and watched as Anankos slammed her body down, attempting to break the platform for good. The floor beneath them cracked, but Liz prevented her from slamming down again by firing another arrow of dark-light into her body. The scream that released from Anankos' jammed mouth nearly caused her to go deaf.

"Insolent slave! Creature! I should have cast your body into Valla's depths!" Anankos shrieked, the golden eyes on the orb inside her mouth blazed with rage and bloodlust.

"Should have, but you didn't!" Liz mocked, pounding her chest. "I'm still here, bitch! Come at me!"

Anankos let out a bellow that nearly shook what was left of Castle Gyges apart. A spray of noxious liquid seemingly formed out of nowehere in front of her face before being sent out in a bubbling jet. Corrin slashed through it, protecting Liz as bits of the blast were sent everywhere, eroding the ground where they occurred. Liz sent out another arrow of dark-light, hitting Anankos again in the orb in her mouth. Another scream, one of abject agony rang out through Valla's skies.

Apparently, being done with taking things slowly, Anankos charged. It almost looked as if her body was breaking apart as she did, and only the orb remained, what Corrin could only assume was the core of her being. The source of her madness. As she charged, bits and pieces of her body began falling away and disintegrating into the void, and before long, all that remained was the orb, staring hatefully at both her and Liz.

Liz provided covering fire, but Corrin knew that at that point, she wouldn't need it. With a roar of her own, and with her dragonstone practically burning a hole through her chest, Corrin could feel parts of her transforming, and yet her humanity remained. She did not lose herself to the transformation, as she had threatened so many times before. She forced Yato forward, letting its edge do all the work as it made contact with the hard flesh of the orb. A loud, squelching sound reached her ears as the loudest scream yet nearly made her eardrums pop. Yet still, she kept going, pushing further with all her might.

With one final slash, what remained of Anankos was pushed back. The orb seemed so much lesser than what it was before. The bright slash mark Yato created radiated pure light as a bubble-like aura surrounded it. It shrunk and shrunk, until it was the size of Corrin's fist. Before it disappeared entirely, she heard one final thing.

"Thank you, my child," Anankos said, her voice devoid of the madness that had plagued it since they'd arrived. "Thank you. My madness is at an end. I can rest easy. Live the life that I never could. It is all that I have ever wanted for you. Goodbye."

With her final words, Anankos fell away into nothingness, and Valla began to go with it.

"Mother…" Corrin whispered, looking around as if she would see the dragon's form return, but nothing came. She heard the sound of something falling behind her, and when she turned around, she saw Liz desperately trying to keep herself up. Corrin rushed to her side. "Liz!?"

"I-I'm fine, I think," Liz said, "I think I'm just… that's it. She's gone. It's-" she sighed, "it's almost hard to believe. She'd been a part of me for so long, with her death it almost feels like I have a hole in me. Maybe there was more of her inside me than I thought."

"You are your own person," Corrin said vehemently, "You are Liz. You are not her, and no matter-!"

"Corrin!" Liz suddenly snapped, before blinking and looking away. "S-sorry, I know what you're saying. I get it, alright? But still, I guess I just expected to feel a bit more… happy, you know? Happy that she's gone. Happy that she finally got what she deserved. But I don't feel happy, at least, not in the way I thought."

Corrin nodded, dropping Yato as the platform started to crumble around them, and cupping Liz's cheek. "After everything we went through, I would be surprised if we felt anything but relief. Happiness can come later. But for now, I think I want to enjoy this silence.

Corrin was right, Liz decided – there was a silence to the air. It wasn't the dreaded, cursed silence that Anankos' presence brought; it was a peaceful silence, something she felt as if she hadn't heard in ages.

"I love you, Corrin," Liz whispered, hugging Corrin as her bow evaporated completely.

"I love you, too," Corrin replied, wrapping her arms around Liz as if to protect her.

Below them, the ground gave weight, and they found themselves in a world of darkness and merciful silence.

When Liz awoke again, she tried to breath but only found water filling her mouth. She struggled violently, as if the water would simply vanish if she moved hard enough. Eventually, however, she could see light, a dark, fading light, but a light nonetheless. She swam as hard as she could, despite the lack of oxygen. She tore through the water as fast as she could, and when she finally pierced through the surface, she gulped in air greedily.

Almost instantly, Liz could recognize where she was. While it wasn't a perfect copy, she found herself in a similar place to where she first appeared in Nohr, over a year before. Grumbling to herself, Liz swam to the shore.

Pulling herself through the mud, Liz finally came to a rest on the riverbank. The mud was hard and cold, but to be completely honest, she didn't mind it. It felt refreshing. Actually, she felt more refreshed than she had in what felt like forever.

While she sat there, taking in breath after breath and looking at the sky, a sudden, scary thought crossed her mind.

Did I go back in time?

Wildly, she looked around for a sign of anyone else nearby. Liz didn't know why her mind jumped instantly to time travel, but if she had, in fact, gone back in time, then she could do so much more. Maybe she could completely derail the timeline-

A hand reached out of the water, grasping onto the roots trickling into the river, a hand Liz knew all too well. At once, she felt disappointed, and also relieved that she didn't have to go through all that bullshit again. Quickly, Liz moved and grasped the hand reaching out of the water. With strength she forgot she had, she pulled Corrin out of the water, sputtering and drenched. Dragging her along the mud until her muscles demanded she stopped, she eventually fell back down, right next to the beached half-dragon princess beside her.

"Welcome back, Candy Corn," Liz said, letting out a breath. "Have a good swim?"

"Liz!?" Corrin gasped, before quickly coughing. She laid back and took deep breaths. "I-I suppose that answers the question. I hope the others didn't come back too far away."

"Eh," Liz shrugged. "I'm sure they're fine. If we don't find them, I'm sure they'll find us. Right now, I just kinda wanna stay here. With you, you know. Just sit here and watch the sky."

Corrin followed Liz's gaze, reaching out for her hand. Liz graciously took it.

"By the Dusk Dragon," Corrin breathed out, "it's beautiful."

The sky was awash with stars, with the alien moon of Nohr and Hoshido above it all. Liz would never get used to that moon – it was so similar, yet so different. Perhaps, soon enough, she would see the moon she had grown up under. But until then, she didn't mind staying with Corrin.

"Where…" Corrin began, looking at the banks. "Where's Yato?"

Liz blinked, following Corrin's gaze as if it would appear at any moment. Then, almost as if in response to being called, the sword flowed by. The fact it hadn't sunk to the bottom of the river despite supposedly being made of metal, Liz would never know, nor would she question.

Corrin scrambled from her place on the riverbank, grasping at Yato's hilt. She caught the legendary blade just as it was about to flow away along the river, and she pulled it to her, nearly falling back down in the process. Even still, she sat back down after grabbing it, looking it over.

It had lost its fiery aura, and the serrated edge had dulled back into a straight one. The sword looked exactly as it had before Corrin had visited the Rainbow Sage, back into the Yato they all knew.

Liz let out a chuckle.

"Guess it's all tuckered out, huh?" Liz said, patting Corrin's shoulder. "Got sick of all our shit, probably."

"It has served its purpose," Corrin said grimly, nodding. "Anankos is gone. I doubt there are many dragons out there, except maybe myself. Lilith, the Dawn and Dusk Dragons, the dragons the tribes worship – they are all long gone. Anankos and the Rainbow Sage were the last ones."

"Do you feel bad?" Liz asked, "I mean, being the last dragon sounds pretty badass, but hearing something and being something are too different things. And, I mean, you're half-human. I feel like that has to count for something."

"Maybe it does," Corrin said, shrugging. "It doesn't feel like it sometimes, though. Anankos is gone, but I feel like my journey – my life – is just beginning. Anankos lived for thousands of years; will I live long enough to see everyone important in my life die? Will I…?"

Corrin could not continue. Liz wouldn't let her. She wrapped her arms around Corrin, hugging her tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere any time soon," Liz said softly, "With Anankos gone, there's nothing stopping us from being together like this, for as long as possible. Besides, you and I do still have a lot to do – we gotta go find a way to my homeland, find Alex, you know, all that good shit."

Corrin blinked before letting out a laugh. "Yes, of course! How could I forget? You would be lost without me."

"Damn right I would!" Liz giggled, standing up. "Well, guess we'd better get going. The others aren't gonna find themselves, ya know. Need a hand?"

Liz held her hand out, and Corrin sat still for a moment, admiring her, before finally taking it.

Every end is a new beginning.

Just two more to go...

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