A/N: I tried to keep things light this chapter, I really wanted to give a break from all of the more intense things. Did things go as planned? Uh… maybe? I'm not too sure. Hana's came out on the low end well enough, Sakura's… not so much. Hinoka gets kinda tense, and the last one is rather emotionally thick.
So, I guess not. Oh well, maybe next time.
Canon Name = Nickname: Corrin = Lupus. Velouria = Vella. Keaton = Keaty. Setsuna = Seta. Hinoka = Hina. Sakura = Saku. Subaki = Superman. Ryoma = Red. Selkie = Silky. Kaden = Ka-da. Orochi = Viper. Takumi = Tako. Lastly, only Selkie/Silky refers to Corrin/Lupus as Lu-pu.
Consort: True, that one point of resistance just might be that one less damage that prevents your unit from hitting 0 health. Well that, and… I'm skipping to Leo's bit for that. Maybe the spell never actually 'failed' in the first place? Maybe Leo did follow through with the order for using that spell to control Lupus and stab Sakura, but now the fact that he did such a low blow is eating away at his conscience? Think about it.
He nearly had Sakura killed, someone who is not showing even a hint of spite towards Leo, even after admitting he had her stabbed. Even after he made sure she knew what he's in control of… she still wanted to help him. That has to be a huge blow against his conscience. If Lupus is ever struck with that curse again, I think that Leo will not be the one casting it.
But yes, if Garon ordered it, then Leo would probably follow through. However, if it becomes known that Leo is faltering like this, he might end up getting replaced by someone who won't give Sakura such mercy.
Ah yes, Peri… She was one of the few I knew was going to end up killing. Besides obvious candidates like Garon or Iago. Yes, 'one of the few', she won't be the only death.
J-Dawg (Guest): Well, we can't really 'get' how badly they hate each other. However, it's not just their actions towards each other, it's humans poaching them. Remember that Wolfskin and Kitsune exclusively live in mountains, and that living on the plains is pretty much a death sentence… you do realize how much that limits choice of homes, right? We, as humans, can't really see that. Sure, there are conditions where it's either hard or outright impossible, but you could imagine us where someone couldn't settle on nice verdant plains of grass because there were creatures actively hunting us in that region?
It goes from the beastfolk being separated from humans, then divided into Wolfskin and Kitsunes, and even more to packs and hamlets. The beastfolk are so heavily fractured and with all of those constant threats looming over, has gotten to the point where they just can't even trust other packs or hamlets. It's kill or be killed. A stray Kitsune could be one scouting around, and a pack could lose their den if they are prepared.
It's totally Keaton only seeing Hinoka for what she can bring to the pack.
Well, Sakura better bring a seriously over-clocked flashlight if she's going to succeed.
I… don't know, actually? On one hand, I think I said that anybody is susceptible to dying, but on the other I think I miiiiight have said Elise is safe?
But you are right on Corrin being seen as only the enemy. She wasn't there to be raised by the Nohrians this time, so there is no pseudo-family love this time… that much can be seen in how quickly Camilla almost fantasizes about using Corrin's dragon form for decorations.
It's all good. And, yeah… I prefer shorter chapters. And not a problem for not having an account, it's your call.
ZygardeFusion: By a very angry Kaden… while she was wielding a Beast Killer. Goes to show a feared weapon won't mean much in a surprise attack.
SakuraxLeo?! Where? Here? I dunno what you're talking about! *shifty eyes*
It's all good. And yeah, I'm enjoying her… even if she's young… and not housebroken… and a handful.
The first thing Hana heard as she was rudely brought out of her slumber is the sound of the call to arms. "Now?!" She scowls as she jumps out of bed, grabs her katana… then keels over as the sudden and intense pain ignites her chest. "Ngh…" It's so intense that she disregards any sense of decency and pulls up her shirt. Scarred, bumps…
Some metal shards still remain, but she can barely even see the tips of them, as embedded in her skin as they are.
So, she was in a position where removing them meant death? Hana traces the scars once more, before shaking her head, pulling her shirt back down, and heading out. She can still move, she can still fight.
The base camp is being assaulted from a number of points. But, it's not an overwhelming number, more like a single platoon was split up to start the attack from different directions. Hana goes for a lone axe wielder, side stepping a swing and delivering a strike of her own, though her attack lands.
It didn't cut as much as she hoped.
The Nohrian, noticing that his opponent is lacking, starts to trade defense for offense, and due to Hana's state, is forced to remain on the defensive. Too much pain, she simply isn't fit for combat right now.
Act first and think later… this is something she needs to drop!
"Die, you little…" He gurgles up blood instead as Subaki swoops in and slashes his back.
"Hana? What are you doing out here?!" He… rightfully chides her. "Gods, nevermind that. If you can't keep yourself still, make sure there's someone beside you. I need to…" He rears his Pegasus back as another, much larger axe swishes through the air.
"Hello, darling." None other than Princess Camilla dives in.
"Se…" Hana starts, but is forced back as Camilla slams her pommel towards her.
"I'm afraid the archers are either dead or occupied." She smiles.
"Hana, go…" Subaki is cut off when Camilla swings her axe his way. Still, he didn't need to finish to know what he was going to say. Hana nods and runs off… burning chest pain and all. Around her, the Hoshidan soldiers seem to be pushing back the Nohrians quite well. Is the weakened barrier keeping them from fighting full strength?
"Setsuna!" Hana calls out.
An arrow soars out of a tent and nails a Nohrian in the throat. "I'm here…" She doesn't seem to have suffered any hits. "This feels… too easy." Setsuna frowns.
"I agree." Hana nods, taking position beside the air-headed archer.
Though she sure can't deny her skill… as Setsuna snipes a Nohrian from roughly halfway across the camp. "There aren't a lot."
"They're limited by the remaining barrier." Kagero appears. "Perhaps they thought sending a Princess and her retainers would be enough." She sighs. "I can't shake the feeling that this isn't right…" Without wasting a second, she vanishes again… probably towards Lord Ryoma.
More death cries sound out… just Nohrians. "We need to stay alert." Hana concludes. "Even after this battle is over, we need to make sure nothing's gonna happen." Setsuna remains silent.
Nothing about this 'attack' seems right.
Princess Sakura could slowly feel at least some of her energy coming back. It isn't much, but she is doing more than just sleeping. She wonders how the rest of her family is doing… and the pack Corrin is in. She hopes they're alright.
She also truly hopes Corrin isn't blaming herself.
Sakura stands up and stretches, removing the remaining amount of sleep from her body. "What do you mean!?" She squeals as a voice echoes all the way into her cell. "Answer me!" Leo? Is that Prince Leo? Any future yelling has slowly been toned down.
What could have gotten Prince Leo so angry?
Sakura hears the door open, and she can pick up clearly angered, but controlled footsteps. "Pr-prince Leo?" Sakura asks.
And sure enough, none other than the wielder of the Brynhildr walks up. "My apologies, Princess Sakura." He takes a breath, forcing himself calm.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Tick tock, then a creak as Prince Leo opens the gate, and sits down on her 'cot'.
"I'm sorry." He simply states.
"F-for?"
"For not protecting you."
Wait, what? "Um…?"
"Or, more accurately, I won't be able to oversee your captivity any longer." He leans back. "Princess Camilla has lead an assault on the Hoshidan base camp."
Sakura's face pales, "What?! Is… is… is…?"
"Princess Camilla has been captured."
But… if… Prince Leo is telling her this, then… it's public knowledge, right? "But, what does h-have to do w-with you b-being unable to… watch over me?"
"I've been reassigned for the offensive, which Princess Camilla was previously leading." Prince Leo sighs.
"And… who will…?"
He remains silent as the door opens once more. "You've had your time, Prince Leo." Sakura's breath catches.
Iago.
"I understand." Prince Leo rises. "I need to make my leave now… goodbye, Princess Sakura." He walks with a controlled anger.
And Iago walks in. Sakura instantly feels chill bumps on her body. "Princess Sakura…" He grins.
"Iago." Is all she replies with.
"There are going to be a few changes in store now, Princess Sakura." He steps closer, she steps back. "First will be these… 'accommodations'." Iago walks over to her thin light-pink sheet and pillow. "Fire." Then ignites them. "You are a prisoner, Sakura… it's about time you are treated as such." He takes out some sort of syringe, filled with a sickly-blue liquid. She could only squeal as she moves back, whatever is in that vial is… wrong. "Thankfully, your muscles have already suffered enough atrophy to prevent you firing shots, but…"
"G-Get back!"
"Have you ever pushed yourself magically so far that it physically pains you?" Sakura unconsciously nods, "Well, this toxin is designed to replicate that feeling." He chuckles, "Oh, but there's more… it will also burn the majority of your magic out of you." Fear shows and he only laughs. "Oh yes, you won't just be physically weak, but I am going to make sure you can't cast a single spell, either."
Sakura whimpers as she back into the wall, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Iago walks closer, the needle drawing ever closer. "Pl-please, d-don't…"
"Oh, I will… and I will take great satisfaction from this. Now. Hold still." The needle enters her, she screams and…
Nothing.
Princess Hinoka brushes her Pegasus as she awaits for the next thing to happen. With less stuff around means less work to keep things working as intended. No stables, no groundwork, it seems almost… barren here. Even with those fruit trees. She does know that her feet are finally starting to hurt a bit, as without proper repairs, her boots have been one of the first things to fail.
And there Corrin is, running around without any foot protection at all. Corrin's mood has almost turned around since that curse has apparently vanished, but Hinoka can still tell the damage that has been done… the knowledge that it was her body that nearly killed Sakura. At least that, without the curse on her, she's willing to get close again.
Being able to get close means that Corrin has resumed her… 'sniffing'. Which is what she's doing right now, of course… while Hinoka is trying to brush her Pegasus, and if that summons a conga-line-ish effect, Vella is sniffing Corrin.
There are some things Hinoka will never get used to.
…
She also wonders how much was really at stake when her big brother declared the duel. Was he really just expecting Keaty to just kill him? Well, Hinoka honestly wasn't expecting Keaty to declare that she's staying in the pack, or… well…
"What's wrong, Hina?" Corrin asks as she shivers, her face burning red. "Your scent is getting stronger again."
"...Hina's excited." Vella states.
"Huh, about what?" Why… why is she so ignorant on these matters? She knows about mating!
"Little sister…" Hinoka sighs. "Keaty told me that, after the war, he will… 'claim' me."
"Oh… so that's why you were all red?" Corrin asks.
"...brother is taking a human as a mate?" Vella is next. "Hmph, and what do you offer that Lupus can't?"
"Sister!" Corrin squeals. "H-H-He's my brother!"
"Can Hina shapeshift? Can Hina stand her ground alone like you can?" Vella backs up… Corrin backs up. "You are so much better than her!"
"Well… it's his choice, anyway." Corrin looks away.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll also have you, too… and mate with you more." Vella 'comforts' her.
"Oh, just shush. I don't wanna hear about that." Corrin huffs. "Besides, you should worry about your own heat."
"We've already been over this." Vella shrugs off the concern.
"How are you two so… calm about this?" Hinoka asks, "We're talking about a male just… doing what he wants with a female. That's wrong."
"He's the alpha." The two respond in unison.
"The pack needs stronger pups…" Corrin.
"So the alpha is the one who gets to mate with the bitches." Vella. "What's wrong with that? Would you rather have weak pups?"
"Th-that's not the point! I mean he's… ugh. This is just a human thing, apparently." She huffs. "It's immoral and just wrong for the other person to have no say in whether or not to have… intimate relations."
"Sister?" Vella looks at Corrin.
"If Keaty chose me, then I'd agree." Corrin just shrugs.
"You just said that…"
"Hina, you don't understand. We can't be picky. It's not a question of it's 'right or wrong' it is about if the offspring will be strong enough to overcome the next generation of struggles. If it was like how humans want it, then the Wolfskin and Kitsune wouldn't have made it as far as they did. Yes, I see Keaty as a brother, and I don't want to because of that, but… if Keaty believes me to be worthy of mating, if the pups I bear are worth the effort of raising, then I'll mate."
"...But, you don't want to."
"What I want is the best for the pack."
"And what about you? What does my little sister want?" A pause follows…
"I… don't know." She takes a breath, "Well, I know I love Seta, and I would love to be with her again, but that would only cause the pack…"
"No, stop." Hinoka interrupts. "Drop it. Don't include the pack in your reasoning."
"I want to be with Seta again, but…" Corrin's eyes dart around and she can see the conflict behind her eyes… is 'the pack' really the only thing keeping Corrin from Setsuna? "I need to go." She quickly withdraws.
"...humans." Vella scoffs as she leaves.
Hinoka's Pegasus whimpers and she resumes brushing her mount. "You're right, I don't understand, but I also don't think I want to understand… I know enough."
Takumi, second and the younger prince of Hoshido, stands in the training yard… more or less willing the time away with repeated bullseyes. He doesn't like this… feeling, being right at the edge of war, but just short enough for it to be not considered a war.
As long as Mother's barrier stands, there won't be a true war.
Still, the feeling of a looming war is nothing compared to the feeling of a near empty castle. Yes, there are servants and soldiers aplenty, but the only family here right now is his mother.
'Lupus' went back to 'the pack'. Hinoka ended up following Corrin… then she came by and took Sakura. Finally, Ryoma has left for the frontal defensive.
Three of his siblings are in a pack of wolves.
"Tch…" He scoffs as he readies another arrow, "Should've just listened to the rumors, I guess… she was never Corrin to begin with…" A bullseye is accompanied with a sigh, "I wanted to believe, but… I'm just going to have to face the fact, and the fact is that…" Yet another bullseye. "Corrin is dead."
"Lord Takumi!" Some servant announces. "Her Highness has requested your immediate presence in the war room."
"Hm? Alright, I'll be there." Placing the training bow and arrows aside, he makes his way towards the war room. "Wonder what mother wants? I'm no good at actual tactics… archery positioning, maybe?" He wonders out-loud. "I doubt I'm being sent out." With an efficiency that can only be gained from actually living in the castle for a good chunk of his life, Takumi quickly locates and enters the war room. "Hello, mother." He smiles…
And is greeted with anything but happiness. The instant he feels this tenseness is the second his mood drops. The first thing he assumes is that mother is in a position to drop the barrier. "Hello, son." It also doesn't help that she's the only other one in here.
"You called for me, mother? I'll… advise what I can."
Tears… mother is… crying? "If only it were so easily resolved."
Distressed by her sudden sorrow, Takumi quickly rounds the table and stands aside… and he notices a crunched up report in her hand… not crunched like she was discarding it, but because whatever message in there set off her emotions. Fear? "Have the Nohrians destroyed too many conduits?"
"I would actually prefer that to be the case." Remaining vague… but, she would rather burden excessive magical stress? So, it's worse than that.
There's only one topic that could potentially be worse, "What of our family?"
And there it is, her resolve breaks. "I… a r-report… came in." She breathes, "It's from my eldest."
"And what did big brother have to say?"
She looks at the paper, but shakes her head, probably deciding it's best if she says it herself. "As you know, all three of my daughters are residing in the pack that Corrin was raised in." Takumi holds back a scoff, "However, King Garon has a vendetta against them for taking Corrin from him, and as such, they've been bearing the brunt of elite forces from Nohr." She takes another breath, steeling herself, "There have been a number of tragic happenings…"
"What's happened to…"
He was silenced by a wave of her hand. "Please, son. I understand your need to know, but let me get to it. Now, Ryoma was told all of what happened in the pack through Subaki. The Wolfskin have been assaulted by Prince Leo and Princess Camilla." Takumi had to remind himself to not speak out yet, "Princess Camilla is the reason why Sakura had to be brought out… apparently her wyvern had infected Vella with rabies. During Prince Leo's attack, Corrin was both struck by his Brynhildr and a curse." A fresh set of tears follows. "There have also been the accounts of Ryoma challenging Keaty to a duel, Hana nearly getting herself killed by Keaty." She pauses.
"Gods, all of this? In just a few days?" Yet, his gut tells him this isn't the end of the news. "Why did big brother declare a duel?"
"Hana had provoked Keaty for… information and in order to make sure every left safely, he declared a duel."
"Heh, bet he won, too."
"Unarmed." She adds.
"..." Takumi hesitates, "Alright, I'm sure he…"
"Yielded." She cuts him off. "Ryoma yielded when he was in a position to where if he tried to continue he would have been crushed."
"...But, they're safe, right?" Even if he lost?
"Keaty let them walk…" She takes a breath, "In exchange for keeping… Princess Hinoka."
"Wh-what?!" He shouts, "Th… they have no right!"
Mother sighs and rubs her forehead, "I'm afraid that is far more subdued to the other issue."
"A pack of wolves has stolen big sister, and you're saying there is worse?!"
"That curse Corrin was inflicted with… a sort of… long-distance mind control." A third set of tears, "According to Subaki, who was told by Hinoka, Corrin became unreasonably aggressive in a short period of time, and… somehow her arm turned into a lance and she… gods. Corrin… she… st-stabbed Sakura, my youngest almost died and…" Takumi was currently left speechless, "Sakura was in critical condition, moving her would have been a death sentence and… the Nohrians were approaching. She… Sakura was… left b-behind. Takumi… Sakura's been captured by the Nohrians."
…
Sakura was almost… killed by Corrin and, they left her and… now she's been… captured? "How could they…?!"
"Son, they had no other reasonable choice."
"They could've…"
"Son." She repeats, much more sternly, "My youngest was near death, a slight mishap would've had her killed. Attempting to fight off the Nohrians would have put her in just as much risk. I hate the idea of leaving her behind, but it was the best of the worst options. Gods… we're not even in the heat of war and there are already such tough decisions being made."
"Alright… what's next, then?" He asks, wanting to divert the topic.
"I've already sent word to have our army at the ready. I'm afraid it won't be too much longer."
War's coming soon, and Hoshido has already had their youngest princess captured… after being forced to be left behind from being nearly killed by the middle 'princess', who really isn't much more than an animal. Takumi resolves, the next time he meets 'Corrin'...
He's getting answers.
A/N: So, Camilla had led a failed assault onto the Hoshidan base camp, but if there were really that few… was it meant to be a failure to begin with? But, then why would she be tasked with it in the first place? Oh, how things don't add up… yet. Well, whatever the plan was, Prince Leo wasn't aware of it, and now he's tasked with the offensive…
Leaving poor Sakura with Iago. Oh, poor Sakura indeed, since the first thing Iago does is torture her.
Surely if King Garon wanted Leo on the offensive, then he would just order it, right? So why is this roundabout way being made?
Next is… Hinoka. Hey, at least we know why Keaton kept Hinoka. He's going to 'claim' her after the war ends. Surely that's crossing the line, right? Keaton is going to learn that there are extra steps when it comes to humans. Something Corrin still can't seem to grasp. Whatever 'human' she has gained during her time with her family seems to have almost already left her, hence why she's so confused to Hinoka's near distress.
And, that leaves… Takumi. I wanted to do someone else for castle updates, but when I thought about it, it would have either been Takumi or Mikoto when taking the reports into account. Besides, it allows me to get some of Takumi's almost signature spite in. At least it isn't because of magic, but instead due to a combination of what Corrin has done, causing his other sisters to leave in the first place and partially due to the rumors about Corrin not being the real Corrin.
Let's just hope his 'getting answers' doesn't include aiming his Fujin Yumi at her.
I was going to add a scene with Lupus's PoV… but then I decided against it. Making this the first chapter without Lupus's/Corrin's PoV!