Hello all! It's been quite some time. I hope this document uploads correctly. FFNET hates my formatting for whatever reason. Please R&R! I will hopefully be updating more frequently since I now have an idea of how I want this story to go. I had gotten to a point where it was just chaos, but now I have a plan. Look forward to more!

Hinoka was absolutely stunned that Sakura had been holed up in Nohr this entire time. Her first instinct was to blame the Nohrians for holding her sister hostage. But, in her heart, she knew Sakura. She must have stayed of her own free will, too meek to stand up for herself.

At first, she was confused. They had shared a moment of embracing each other, Sakura sobbing into her sister's shoulder. But something felt off about it as Sakura addressed that she wanted to be alone. Wasn't she happy to see Hinoka? Were these tears of joy, or regret?

Xander had Jakob escort Hinoka to Sakura's chambers. Jakob seemed hostile towards the Hoshidan queen, but Hinoka didn't care at that moment. She only was worried for Sakura.

When she arrived at the door, Jakob left her to her devices. She contemplated on knocking. She almost didn't want to disturb Sakura. But Hinoka needed Sakura's attention. It had been two years. She thought Sakura had died. Knowing she was alive mollified Hinoka greatly, but Sakura seemed scared.

Was she afraid that Hinoka would cart her back to Hoshido? Hinoka didn't want to entertain the thought. Sakura not wanting to go back to her home country… It hurt Hinoka.

But there was only one way to find out, so Hinoka knocked after all. After a pause, a wavering voice that was only Sakura's bade her entrance.

Hinoka entered and saw that Sakura was sitting by the window. In the waning light of Nohr, she saw small trails of tears run down Sakura's face. So she had been crying. Hinoka felt hurt again.

She sat across from Sakura, debating on how to broach the subject. Any subject really. She wasn't sure how to address her own sister.

"So…you're alive after all," Hinoka finally said. "I've missed you so much." Hinoka wanted to grab Sakura and hold her, but something held her back. This wasn't like with Corrin, when Corrin had returned after years. Something about this felt off.

"Yes, I'm alive." Hinoka noticed the lack of a stutter. Sakura had grown.

She took in Sakura's appearance for a moment. Her hair was long and lustrous, a brilliant pink. Her eyes were still the same rich brown, though perhaps there was a somewhat weary look in them. Sakura must have gone through many trials. Her skin was fair with pink cheeks. The Nohrians must have been treating her well then. It felt odd to see her in the Nohrian outfit, all frills and tulle. Hinoka felt Sakura only belonged in yukata and kimono but that was her bias.

"Is something wrong?" Hinoka asked quietly. "Are you not happy to see me?"

"It's…complicated," Sakura hesitantly said. "I'm afraid."

"Of what?" Hinoka was concerned. Why would Sakura be afraid of her own sister?

"I'm afraid you'll take me back to Hoshido," Sakura said after a pause. "I'm not sure I want to go back."

"Oh." It was all Hinoka could say. She felt offended, but this was Sakura. Hinoka couldn't be brash or otherwise Sakura would curl back into her shell.

"It's not you," Sakura said when she realized that Hinoka was hurting. "I am v-very happy to see you, b-but…"

"But?" Hinoka pried.

"I don't want to leave."

Hinoka was confused. "What would make you want to stay? Hoshido is your home. You belong there."

Sakura sighed. "I've made a home here, though. Despite the hardship I have received, Nohr has become a place of comfort almost. And I…like being here in the castle. Everyone has been so kind…"

Hinoka guessed it. "You feel like they're your family."

"Well… They will be…eventually," Sakura whispered cryptically.

Hinoka was incensed. She knew what Sakura was implying. "You can't, Sakura! Not to a dirty Nohrian dog!"

Sakura shrank back, but she had to stand up for herself. "Pr-prince Leo… is very kind to me. He wasn't at first, but we grew to trust each other. He's precious to me, Sister."

Hinoka felt like her whole world had stopped. Her baby sister, claiming to love a Nohrian?! What had the world come to?

"How could you…?" Hinoka choked back tears. "After what those monsters have done to our home? To Mother? To Ryoma and Takumi? To us both?"

"They're not monsters! They did what they had to!" Sakura exclaimed. "If only you knew the story…"

"Of how our own sister betrayed us? How she led an army to invade our peaceful nation and actually conquer it?" Hinoka hissed. "That's a story I know all too well."

"There's more to it though. Their father…he was the monster. He forced them to, or otherwise they would have died."

"They should have just killed him themselves," Hinoka spat. She was beyond caring. She could never empathize with the Nohrians.

"Hinoka… Could you have killed your own family?" Sakura asked quietly.

Hinoka couldn't answer. Family meant everything to her. Could she, if her own father turned out to be a monster, kill him in cold blood? She didn't know.

"Exactly," Sakura responded for her, taking her sister's silence as the answer. "I know I couldn't."

"You hate killing. You wanted to fight, but you had to run…" Hinoka looked away, not wanting Sakura to see her cry. "I didn't want you to fight. I love you, Sakura."

"I love you, too, Big Sister. But…I have killed. On our journey back to the castle, all the way from Nestra… Leo and I faced many hardships. I can't believe we made it."

Hinoka didn't want to hear the story. She didn't want to hear of how her own sister fell in love with a Nohrian prince.

Sakura didn't like Hinoka's silence. "Have I upset you?" she finally asked.

"I'm not…pleased. I can't believe you'd think you'd be happy with him, honestly."

"Leo wasn't the easiest to get along with, but he has come around and has been so kind to me… I love him dearly, Hinoka. He's so smart and works tirelessly to better his nation. He just wants peace. They all do."

"That's hard to believe," Hinoka spitefully said. "Sakura, I am surprised at you."

"Please don't take me away. I couldn't bear to live without Leo." Sakura pleaded.

Hinoka was quiet for a moment, pondering her sister's plea. "I can't promise that, Sakura."

"Hinoka, please." Sakura had tears in her eyes.

Hinoka stood up. "Sakura, you belong in Hoshido, with me. You need to see what the Nohrians have done. Then you'd change your mind about this prince."

"It's not his fault!" Sakura was sobbing now. "They didn't know. They expected the occupiers to do their duty, not cause more havoc."

"Well, they know now, and I expect them to help out." Hinoka went to leave. "I expect you to join me and stay."

Sakura didn't answer. She couldn't. She could barely see past her tears. She started to wail.

Hinoka's heart hurt for her sister, but there was nothing she could do. She wasn't going to lose Sakura again. No Nohrian prince would hold her back. She'd fight him if she must.

Hinoka left, shutting the door quietly, and headed back to her quarters. She wasn't sure she would find them on her own, since the castle seemed like a maze, but the brisk walk would do her good. She just hoped she wouldn't run into any of the siblings. That was the last thing she wanted.

While Hinoka was making plans on how to get Sakura to stay with her, Leo was confiding in Odin and Niles on how he was planning to elope with the lost princess. Niles at one point had done many an insidious deed, one being smuggling. He had never personally smuggled a person, at least, a living one, but he knew the concept was fairly similar. He could smuggle Sakura and Leo out of the country. The problem was where they would go. It wasn't a good idea to stay in Nohr, and Sakura had made it clear she didn't want to go back to Hoshido. To their knowledge, Nestra was still in pieces, and since the citizens had attempted to assassinate Leo, even just passing through there would not be in their best interests. The only place Niles could really think of was Izumo, but it was so close to Hoshido, and since they were neutral, it could cause a problem. Leo had mentioned that the neutrality clause enforced the idea that Izumo would never involve itself in any conflict. There was no point in seeking asylum there permanently.

It was Odin who popped up with the next best thing. "What about the Astral Plane?"

Leo turned to his retainer. They had been discussing their plan in Leo's bedroom. Niles was staying close to the door, intent on throwing off any would-be eavesdroppers.

"The Astral Plane? It's true we used Corrin's during the war, but… Don't we need the power of an Astral Dragon to access them?" Leo inquired, his mind buzzing.

"You have the fiery blood of a dragon coursing through your veins my liege! Your power is so great, that of course you'd be able to access them yourself!" Odin cried out. Leo shushed him. Even if they were in the privacy of his bedroom, there was no need to draw unwanted attention to their meeting.

Niles chuckled quietly. "Your princess also has dragon's blood as well, doesn't she? The Dawn Dragon, right?" he suggested.

"Yes, that's true. Hmm, you've both given me great thought. The Astral Plane alone could be of great use to us. But wouldn't Corrin figure it out?"

"Corrin…isn't always so bright," Niles said, though Leo could hear him holding back the laugh. Odin nodded.

"Corrin is of a sweet disposition, like that of moonlight, but she is not the sun!" He declared. Leo chortled.

"Well, it's true she doesn't always, ah, think clearly, so to speak…" Leo admitted. "It amazes me that Xander actually appointed her as the foreign affairs advisor. I don't think she did too good of a job with Hoshido, if the insurrection Queen Hinoka fled from is any indication."

His retainers nodded. "Yes… Corrin didn't really put out that fire. She threw oil on it." Niles deadpanned.

Odin laughed heartily. "Ah, Niles that was very clever of you!"

Niles just rolled his one good eye. He focused on Leo once more. "So what would you have us do?"

"I'll need to find a way to access the Astral Plane myself. Perhaps I need a conduit of some sort? Lilith used a crystal ball when she was still alive, right?"

"I thought the ball was the Plane?" Niles said. "I'm afraid I don't quite have the head for metaphysics and parallel universes. Philosophy is more of Odin's thing."

"It's not so much philosophy as it is magic, Niles! What we need is something to focus our lord's energy on and it shall transport us to where we need! And with luck, it will be as, uh, customizable as Lady Corrin's!" Odin claimed. He remembered the treehouse Corrin stayed in, everyone else having regular quarters. There had been shops, various fields to grow crops and harvest them, and a great statue of the Dusk Dragon. The Astral Plane itself was set up like that of a traditional Nohrian castle. It was quite a wonder.

"Customization isn't something I really need right now. I need a safe place to hide all four of us," Leo stated.

"You would really take us with you, Lord Leo?" Odin looked mesmerized.

"Of course I would, Odin. You two are my confidants. I trust you both with my life. If I didn't, we wouldn't be here right now planning this."

Niles nodded. "You wouldn't be here period had Odin and I not shown up in time. It was so…lewd how you collapsed on top of the homeless princess."

"Niles, don't…say those sort of things." Leo shuddered. "Sakura is a princess. If she and I are to marry, I would hope you would come to respect her as you do me."

The one-eyed retainer shrugged. "I will once she's earned it."

Leo rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as Camilla, I swear."

"Your sister isn't always wrong, you know. While I do know this Sakura won't cause us any harm on purpose, I can't help but wonder if our associating with her will cause some sort of other harm..." Niles pondered.

Leo sighed. "You mean with Hoshido."

"Well, yes. You know the queen is going to report that her sister is alive, and that a Nohrian kidnapped her if we go through with this."

Leo gritted his teeth, his lips forming a thin, grim line. He nodded.

"However, it's Sakura's choice, and the girl has been presumed dead for two years now. I doubt the nation would honestly care that much."

"You'd be surprised what a single person can do..." Odin said softly.

"What do you mean, Odin?" Leo questioned. "It sounds as if you have a story here."

Odin shook his head. "Ah, do not worry your head over anything of the sort, milord!"

"But you clearly know something we don't, or at least, you have experience with this thing." Leo insisted.

Odin sighed. "Where I come from..."

"Ah, are we finally getting the origin story of the century?" Niles asked mischievously.

"NO." Odin roared. Leo shushed him. Odin floundered for a moment, but composed himself.

"Ah, my apologies, but, no, this isn't my origin story. Although, perhaps you will learn something of me this day.

"Where I come from, the land was stricken with terror. There was many a skirmish between two nations, much like the conflicts between Nohr and Hoshido. But, an angel, pure and serene, and who just so happened to be the, ah, ruler, used her influence and helped stop the conflict. Peace was had for two years, but then… Well, another nation decided it wanted more power. And once again, a single person used their influence to save us all..."

"Where the hell are you from?" Leo asked abruptly. "I have heard nothing of any conflict outside the Nohrian and Hoshidan continent."

"Far away, milord. Far, far away..." Odin said almost dreamily. "It is a land you would not believe."

"I somehow doubt that," Niles interrupted. "We've been inside whole other dimensions, Odin. Are you from something of similar ilk?"

Odin became flustered, his face turning red. Leo saw sweat on his brow. He had never seen his retainer so nervous. "It really isn't that important. I am here now, and that's what matters."

"You are from another dimension!" Leo proclaimed. "That's the only explanation. Your cryptic knowledge, your shut lips on your history, the fact that you can use a blade better than a tome..."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true," Niles chuckled. Odin sighed.

"Wait. Does that mean that Selena and Laslow are also from another dimension? The same one you hail from? You're awfully chummy with them..." Leo guessed.

Odin nodded reluctantly. "Please don't tell them that you know. We intended to keep this a secret until..."

"Until…?" Leo prompted.

"This should be good," Niles muttered.

"Well, we intended to go home someday," Odin admitted. "The thing is, it would be a one-way trip..."

"You'd never return, and you'd leave me, my sister, and my brother with one less retainer each?" Leo demanded. "Would you at least have had sent me a notice?"

"Probably not. It would have led to this very discussion." Odin shrugged.

"Oooh, how shameless," Niles gushed. "Odin, you're being so very naughty."

"Niles, please," Leo chastised.

"But milord, it seems that Odin would turn traitor one day!"

"No! Not traitor! I'd just…!"

"Go AWOL." Leo deadpanned.

"I… Yes, I would be absent without leave," Odin admitted.

Leo sighed. "This...is a lot to take in. I don't know if I can trust you anymore."

"My lord, please! I have been your faithful fated fighter all this time! I would never cause you harm! But one day, I'd like to see my family again, and perhaps..."

"Perhaps…?" Niles repeated, all too intrigued.

"Well, there was a girl..."

Leo and Niles were silent. Odin? With a girl? The thought was preposterous.

"There was a girl that didn't laugh at how ridiculous you are?" Niles questioned, his voice shaking from the laughter bubbling up from him. Odin glared.

"Yes, she thought I was cool. She always asked me to, uh, make poems?" Odin shrugged. "She liked the way I named her cakes."

"So is that what the kids are calling them these days?" Niles asked with a fake tone of innocence. Leo and Odin paused for a moment but then realized what Niles meant. Leo swatted his shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"I've warned you plenty of times, Niles."

"But he named her cakes! What else could that be a euphemism for?"

Leo turned to Odin. "What are 'cakes'?"

Odin paled. "Um, she used a particular word… Uh, confessions?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Confections." He looked to Niles. "Odin is talking about literal cakes, Niles. Stop your nonsense."

Niles shrugged, still holding back a laugh at his dirty joke.

"Anyway, Odin, you wanted to leave Nohr for a girl?"

Odin glared, the first time he had ever shown a modicum of insolence to Leo. "You want to leave Nohr for a girl. What's different about mine?"

"You're right. My apologies, Odin. Just… The idea that a girl loves you caught me off-guard I suppose."

"'Tis fine my liege!" Odin agreed. "A fair maiden capturing the heart of one Odin Dark is not something to take lightly! Love is truly the cornerstone of-"

"Gods, shut up." Niles barked. "Someone's coming."

All three men instantly clammed up, anticipating the footsteps of someone. They were light, so it wasn't Camilla or Xander.

A quick knock was rapped upon the door. "Brother!" came the hushed, muffled tone of Elise. "Are you in there?"

Leo nodded to Niles, who opened the door and let Elise in. "What do you need, Elise?" Leo asked.

"I'm so scared!" she cried, jumping into her brother's arms. "I don't want Sakura to go!"

Leo patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture, but it only made Elise cry harder. He needed something to say to ease her pain.

Elise...did keep Sakura's true identity a secret for a while now. And having an ally on the outside could prove fruitful. What he was going to say could be seen as treasonous to Hoshido, maybe even Nohr, but he wasn't letting Sakura go. He hoped she felt the same way.

"Elise," Leo started, taking a breath. "I don't want her to leave either."

Elise pulled away from him. "Then we must do something!"

Leo looked to his retainers, standing by the door. Odin shrugged. Niles looked grim.

Leo knew he had to tell her.

"Elise, what I'm about to tell you is top secret. No one, especially our siblings and the queen of Hoshido, can ever know of this."

Elise sniffled, and nodded. "What is it, Leo?"

"Sakura and I are going to elope. We will seek refuge in the Astral Plane." There. It was said. Now what would Elise do?

"Oh! That's a splendid idea! But… How? Does she know yet?"

Leo shook his head. "She doesn't, but I'll send a missive to her and hopefully she agrees to it."

"I think she will, Leo! I know she loves you so much!" Elise looked so positive of that statement. "Wait, if you're telling me, then does that mean you need me to be like a spy for the outside? To let you know what's going on?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking," Leo admitted. "We need an outside source to let us know how everything is going and to see if we can even come back. But, Elise, that means you can't tell anyone. No one must know how you get to us."

"How would I contact you? Do you have some sort of magical object that can transfer words to each other? I promise I'll burn every letter you send." She looked so serious about that statement.

"I...can enchant something, sure, but it may also be helpful if you can actually get to us." Leo then had an idea. "Doesn't Corrin have a surplus of Dragon Stones?"

Elise nodded.

"Niles."

"Already on it." Niles slipped outside the door, fluid as any shadow.

"Hmm? What is he going to do?" Elise asked.

"We need at least two Dragon Stones to transport. One for me and my entourage, and one for you and yours." Leo explained. He went to his desk to write a quick message to Sakura. "Time is of the essence of course." He put quill to vellum quickly and blew on the ink to make it dry faster. He turned to Odin. "Take this to Sakura. Let no one see you. I'm sure she's in her chambers."

Odin carefully rolled the message up and hid it within his glove. "You have my word." And so too did he slip off.

"Elise, when Niles gets back, you hide that stone in the safest place you can." Leo instructed.

"Yes, of course, Brother."

"You can't tell anyone of where we went. I'm sure they will have their guesses, but I don't think they'd think to go to an Astral Plane. At least, I hope not." Leo's mind was racing. "We'll need to lay a false trail..." So Leo went back to his desk and wrote a fake message to Sakura, making it looked rushed. He let the ink dry, smudging a little of it, and handed it to Elise. "Go hide this in Sakura's room when you can, okay? Make it look like she hid it in a hurry."

Elise nodded. "You can count on me!" Elise took the message and ran off, ready to play conspirator.

Leo took a shuddering a breath. This was happening. This was really happening. He was about to essentially kidnap a lost princess with his retainers, hide away in some forgotten realm, and his youngest sister was to be his confidante, relaying any news, providing supplies… She was conspiring against both crowns, and she did so willingly. Very willingly. But he trusted Elise. She would never betray him because she believed in his cause just as much as he did.

While he pondered on his mission, Niles returned with two Dragon Stones. "Corrin wasn't in her chambers, and it's not like she was hiding these. Too easy." Niles handed them to Leo. "Anything else?"

"Odin and Elise are going to Sakura. Sakura will have the real message, but I gave Elise a fake one to hide in Sakura's room to lay a false trail."

"You sly dog. So, pray tell, where are we 'going', so to speak?"

"I basically said we would find a way to get to Port Dia and sail to Izumo to seek asylum, and get married there. I made it seem like Izana would be very interested in the idea of marrying two royals of opposite kingdoms."

Niles nodded. "Good plan, and it makes sense in a way."

Leo agreed. "I know that it's a hasty plan, and there are holes, but we're on a time crunch. We need to leave tonight."

Odin and Elise were back, and behind them was Sakura with a satchel that Leo only assumed had some of her belongings.

"So… You agreed." He felt the tension for a moment, but then he softened when he saw Sakura smile.

"Yes. I would gladly elope with you," she admitted.

"Wonderful." He turned to Niles and Odin. "Pack whatever you need, and do so quickly. We need to leave before dawn."

Niles and Odin turned to each other, nodded, and fled for their respective chambers. Elise looked nearly giddy.

"I can't believe we're doing this!" she nearly shouted. Leo and Sakura hushed her. "Sorry, but this is exciting!"

"I know, Elise, but we have to be as discreet as we can be. Remember, you cannot tell anyone."

"Of course, Leo!"

He thought for a moment. "You may tell your retainers, of course. You'd need them to cover for you or protect you should something go awry."

"Yes, Leo!"

He turned, found a satchel for himself, and began to pack his own belongings. Brynhildr, mainly, but he also had need of parchment, ink, quills… Quickly, he found two blank journals and placed a quick enchantment on them, muttering in some tongue that not even Elise fully recognized. He handed one to Elise.

"Open it." She did so.

Leo opened his and quickly wrote something in it. Word for word, the ink disappeared and reappeared in Elise's. She quickly read it. It was a mere greeting, but she understood the concept.

"Will the ink disappear when I respond?" she asked.

"Yes, or, should you have no need to respond, simply say 'I understand' and the ink should disappear on its own. Try it." Leo explained.

"I understand." Sure enough, the ink disappeared. "Leo, you're amazing!" She clutched the journal to her chest.

"Hide it well. It will glow when I send a message to you. Do not bring it with you anywhere unless I tell you to."

"Yes, of course." She placed the journal in a pouch she kept on her person. "Anything else you need to tell me?"

Niles and Odin returned, looking harried.

"Xander is gathering up troops. We need to leave now," Niles said.

Leo nodded. "No, Elise. That is all. Thank you again for your help."

"Mhmm!" She turned to Sakura. "I'll miss you. Be safe!" The two young women embraced.

"I will, Elise," Sakura breathed. They parted and Leo handed a Dragon Stone to Elise.

"There's yours. Now," he turned to the other three. "We must go."

Quickly, he instructed them to place their hands on the stone in his hand. They all did so and Leo spoke a quick incantation. The stone glowed. "Elise, I will send you instructions on how to do this later. Remember; don't let anyone see."

"Yes, Brother! Good luck!"

Leo nodded. He finished his incantation and the quartet of conspirators were suddenly gone, disappearing instantly.

Elise felt nervous, but she was determined to see this through. No matter what, Leo and Sakura would get married. Even if she had to do it herself.

Even if she had to do it herself...