Author's note: So. I've started college. It's quite time-consuming...so sorry about the delay. This is a short chapter compared to the others, too. I'm going to try to do NaNoWriMo this year so hopefully you'll see another update or two before the end of the month! I actually fulfilled today's goal writing a Castlevania fanfic so I'm not sure how much of my Nano count will go toward this fic, but eh. I'll write what I will. After this we shouldn't have any scenes from perspectives other than Robin's for a while, I think. Now without further ado, enjoy.


When she'd left Hoshido to join Corrin, Reina hadn't imagined she'd be going to the capital again so soon. She thought she would be at war for at least a full year, if not two, before she saw Castle Shirasagi again. Yet there she was, flying back to the castle as fast as her kinshi would take her, aiming to speak to the royal family.

She'd been looking forward to the fighting, so it was a bit disappointing she was being used as a messenger rather than soldier. Her mission was to get to the capital as soon as possible, avoiding any and all conflict. That meant no small battles, no bloodshed. Good for her people, she supposed. Anyone she had to fight this far into Hoshidan territory would likely be Hoshidan themselves, and she had no desire to cut down her own countrymen. But the lack of fighting wasn't that great for herself. There was nothing like a good cut and the smell of coppery blood to pick up her mood. Healing herself through dealing wounds to other. Like one of those Nosferatu spells the Nohrians used, but with a mental, rather than physical effect on herself. Perhaps the thrill she felt at seeing bloodshed wasn't the healthiest thing to other people. Especially not to her parents, who would be horrified to see the scars she bore from years of battle. But it was something that rejuvenated her, so she would miss it.

As much as she loved and longed for battle, she has been given a mission by Lady Corrin, and it was one she was going to follow. She hadn't ever disobeyed Queen Mikoto's orders in order to go off on her own and pick a fight, and she would continue her loyalty in allegiance to her late Queen's daughter. She would do her missions as told, and revel in the scent and feel of blood once she had done as asked and was assigned to a new task. It just meant she would feel down for a little while. That was bearable.

It had been six days since she'd left Corrin and their group, and three since she'd arrived on land, and overall her travel had been bland. Only two stops by officials, no more than five minutes of questioning each. Was she just that well known and respected, or were the guards slacking? She hoped it wasn't the latter. Queen Mikoto had worked hard to ensure the peace of her country and safety of her people. Reina would be upset if those were compromised because of some slacking guards.

In any case, she was fortunate to have caught the winds at her back, increasing her speed and decreasing her overall journey time. As it was, she wasn't sure she was going to make it to Castle Shirasagi in time. Her kinshi could only fly for so long before it needed a break, and she wasn't going to push the animal past its limit to the point it hurt itself. Robin and Lady Azura had both said that fortune wasn't on their side when it came to trying to get Ryoma and his men to meet them at the Bottomless Canyon in time, but that didn't mean she wanted to fail at her mission, even if it wasn't completely unexpected. Not only for Robin and Lady Azura, but for Lady Corrin's sake. Reina could see so much of Mikoto in the girl that she didn't even know - all the little gestures the girl performed that she'd learned over the course of the childhood she'd forgotten, little phrases she occasionally said that had made Queen Mikoto stand out among the rest of Hoshidan court life.

Below her, Reina saw the head of a pegasus, followed by its rider. Two more figures on pegasi approached, a kinshi knight trailing behind Reina. She slowed her kinshi, though she did not stop it.

"Can I ask what the reason for this sudden company is?" she called down to the first pegasus rider she'd spotted, who had risen to her side. They were a falcon knight based off their armor.

"Reina, we ask that you stop your kinshi and explain what you are doing, rushing through Hoshidan skies as you are!" the falcon knight shouted back to her, his voice being carried away from her by the wind. "We have received word from the two checkpoints that you are headed to Castle Shirasagi to meet with Prince Ryoma on royal business! However, given Queen Mikoto's passing, we believe it is unlikely she has given you instructions! If that is in fact true, then we, Lord Yukimura's appointed guard, wish to know what they are as to best serve the Queen, on Lord Yukimura's orders! Please cease flying and speak with us!"

Reina considered what the man had to say, planning a response.

Then the kinshi knight that had been trailing her flew to her side, pulling out a rope with a hook on the end. Now that wasn't a very good sign. Would she get a chance to battle after all? Maybe the trip wasn't too terrible.

"Reina! We have orders to capture you, kinshi dead or alive, if you do not comply with our requests, so please decrease your speed and land so we can clarify the situation!" The knight had one grip on her kinshi, the other on the rope. It was interesting that the woman didn't just use an arrow. Perhaps attaching a rope to the end of the arrow would ruin its trajectory, but it would still be effective in stopping her. What good would a hooked rope do? The kinshi knights or central flight guard had fallen while she'd been away for the past few months. Perhaps it would be best to talk to Yukimura about taking up a training position once the war was over. The way the two pegasus riders who'd yet to speak rode their pegasi was almost offensive to a senior rider as herself. They'd never had made top positions in the flight guard in her day.

Reina yelled her response back to the men. "I have urgent orders to see Prince Ryoma, and stopping won't help me make my way to Castle Shirasagi to speak with him! While you may have a crest from Yukimura, my crest and permissions come from a higher power, and thus any attempt to stop me is illegal! Only permission from Prince Ryoma himself have any grounds to stop me, and I'm running on a particularly tight schedule as it is!"

With that, she gave her kinshi the direction to speed up, and it surpassed the four riders alongside her.

"Reina, this is your last chance before we attempt to stop you using force!" the falcon knight yelled to her.

Reina chose not to respond.

Force was fine with her. Base on the skill with which her opponents flew, she felt it would be a reasonable battle, especially if she kept at the speed she was flying. For whatever reason, the kinshi knight of the group had no bow on her, and the falcon knight and two pegasus knights held regular naginata that couldn't reach her with any sort of ranged attack. She wasn't even going as fast as she could, and already she saw the others struggling to keep up. Even if they did get back to her side, she knew they wouldn't be able to aim any sort of powerful attack without risking falling of their mount or making it veer to one side.

A highly trained pegasus or kinshi could balance itself even when its rider shifted their weight to one side. But these were young, and their riders not experienced enough to manage that.

Really, she had to sit down to talk with Yukimura about the state of the flight guard once she had the chance. It hurt her heart a little to watch.

"Please, Miss Reina!" one of the two pegasus knights called out to her, voice quiet and only reaching Reina because of the strong wind blowing back from the knight's position forward to Reina's ears. "If you wish to speak to Lord Ryoma, then going to Castle Shirasagi will not help you! He, Lady Hinoka, and Lord Yukimura are all at Fort Jinya!"

"Oh," Reina said to herself, directing her kinshi to slow to a stop. Three out of the four riders passed her. Only the pegasus knight who'd just spoken stopped at her side.

Reina raised her voice to speak to the girl, as her kinshi kept her flying in place. "They're at Fort Jinya, you say? Not Castle Shirasagi?"

The girl gave her the traditional salute of the flight guard. "Yes ma'am! I wasn't informed of the exact reasons why, but I assure you they are at Fort Jinya at the moment. If you wish to speak to them, then it would be best to stop there, rather than continuing on to the castle."

"Hm…"

So she wouldn't be seeing Castle Shirasagi as she'd anticipated. And it looked as though she wouldn't be battling after all. Both slight disappointments, but better for her mission in the end. Fort Jinya was much closer than Castle Shirasagi. If there was some sort of delay then perhaps they would cut it close, but as long as she convinced Ryoma to join her in a day or two, all her time worries would be gone. How fortunate! And the fewer battles she engaged in while working for Lady Corrin, the better. Especially as some people believed her to be acting in Queen Mikoto's name (which she was, to a point). She didn't wish to stain either of their names with reports of violence against their own people. So the two, while not precisely what she'd been hoping for, weren't terrible either. It was for the best.

"I think I'll be heading to Fort Jinya then. Thank you for telling me," Reina said to the girl. She nodded.

"Of course, Lady Reina! But I would appreciate if you told us the reason why you're looking to speak with Lord Ryoma and the others. Please."

Reina smiled. "You know of Corrin, Queen Mikoto's daughter, do you not?"

The girl replied in the affirmative.

"At the moment, she's with Prince Takumi and Princess Sakura. I haven't been around Hoshido or heard much gossip lately, so I don't know what's being said of them, but I can tell you they all have good intentions, and have a message they wish to deliver to their brother. They don't have a personal messenger, so I with my kinshi am the fastest way to get that message to Lord Ryoma. It is for them and for that reason that I need to speak with the prince. Is that an adequate reason?"

The pegasus knight nodded. "I think so, Lady Reina. But I still ask that you allow my partners and me to travel with you. To set people's mind at ease."

"I can allow that," Reina replied with a smile.

The other flyers had gathered back around her by that point. They then took off, heading for Fort Jinya.


The flight only took a day, Reina and the other flyers arriving at dusk. The fort was crawling with soldiers, more than she'd seen in years, so the pegasus knight's claim appeared to be true. There wouldn't be that many guards if there wasn't anything precious within.

It was interesting to look around and see the changes that the fort had gone through since she'd last visited. Reina wondered if they'd made any modifications following the battle with Corrin, or whether there were at least plans to do so. While Corrin was an impressive fighter, Reina had been told of the battle and knew her forces were quite small. To win with so few people, against a group that had the advantage of defensive walls and strategic placing? Reina had seen the decline of Hoshido's forces during peacetime, as the Nohrians were kept out of the country by Queen Mikoto's craft, but that was a bit much.

It took five minutes before Yukimura arrived. Neither Prince Ryoma nor Princess Hinoka were with him.

"It's been a while, Yukimura," Reina began, giving him a slight bow of her head. Just small enough to make that little pout he was so fond of making appear on his face.

"It has. I've received word that you've been fighting with Corrin's army for the past couple of months," he replied.

"I have been. She's a lovely girl, Yuki. Reminds me so much of her mother, though she's certainly her own person. You two should talk sometime, and get to know each other."

Yukimura's slight pout turned into a more pronounced frown. He sighed.

Really, the man needed to lighten up a bit. Even Lady Mikoto used to comment on it. Yukimura had developed wrinkles years before he would have otherwise from the worry lines that appeared whenever he frowned. He'd been one to worry and make those faces since they were children, and it showed.

"It's a bit difficult to speak with the commander of enemy forces when they aren't even in your country, and are on the move without a clear direction. Perhaps when she stops I'll speak with her again."

Again?

"Oh, have you two met before? Not counting when she was a child, of course. But, in more current times?" Reina asked.

"Ah, yes. You must know of her attack on this fort soon after she abandoned us," Yukimura explained. "I was there at the time, showing Sakura around the area. After Queen Mikoto's death and the conflict with Corrin and the Nohrians in the plains, it became apparent war was approaching. I thought it best to familiarize Sakura with some of the places she could hide or find protection if the need arose and she was forced to leave Castle Shirasagi."

"What was the impression you gained of Corrin?"

Yukimura took a second to respond. "She's a good person. Though she was in the company of Nohrians for so many years, she's nowhere near as bloodthirsty or brutal as I imagined she would be."

Reina chuckled. "I don't believe those characteristics are exclusive to Nohrians, Yuki."

Yukimura's frown loosened into a more neutral expression bordering on a slight grin. "No, they are not. I think you alone received enough reprimands back in the day to prove it."

"Oh, don't act as if I'm the only one who received scolding."

"You weren't, but you certainly had the greatest reputation for it."

The two stood there smiling for a moment, thinking of the past. Back when Queen Mikoto was still alive, and they were two of the closest people by her side. The two of them had been in close proximity to each other because of it. They'd spoken whenever they were both at the castle, and had gotten along well. A good thing, too, as it was certainly not beneficial to Queen Mikoto's sanity to have two people by her side constantly arguing. She and Yukimura had a similar outer personality. They were different once you got to know the two of them, as Yukimura would never enjoy battle as much as she, and she didn't have the patience to do some of the tasks he carried out on a daily basis. But, they were allies, and friends. She was counting on their friendship to help win the man over in aiding Corrin.

"Now then, you're not going to keep me waiting outside, are you? And before you try to tell me otherwise, I know Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka are here, and that they won't appreciate you hiding my arrival from them. We should take our conversation into the fort, and have them join us. I'll even let you take my naginata from me, so you don't have to worry about their safety. Not that I would ever attack any of King Sumeragi or Lady Mikoto's children without provocation, of course. But I'll accept being disarmed if it's the only way to convince you to let me to speak to them," Reina told Yukimura.

"No need to disarm. But, I still cannot let you see the Crown Prince and Princess. We can, however go inside. Perhaps while we walk you'll make progress with convincing me your cause is just, and that you deserve a royal audience," Yukimura replied.

The two then made their way through the fortress, toward the inner chambers. The soldiers looked uneasy when Reina passed. Like they were unsure whether they should salute her or stay at their original positions. It made sense. As far as Reina knew, she'd never been stripped of her rank or authority, and wasn't officially a traitor, so tradition would dictate they show her military respect. But she had been missing for ages, and word had likely spread at least among the people at the fortress that she was fighting with Corrin, thanks to the mouthy pegasus knights she'd flown in with.

Yukimura cleared his throat to draw her attention back to him. Her eyes had been wandering across the fort during the silence. "So, what is it that you have to say? Why come now, rather than later, and why come alone? As far as I know, your army has not faced any large troubles that would induce such urgency and recklessness."

"Recklessness?" Reina responded. "I wouldn't call my trip reckless. I arrived here unharmed, did I not?"

"Yet you easily could have been shot down. One woman against a country is not reasonable."

"It is when that country is made up of people who trust her, and she has no malintent toward that country. I was serving as a messenger, not a soldier."

"I suppose. But please answer the questions."

Reina nodded. "Of course." She paused. "What do you know about the changing of the skies between Hoshido and Nohr?"

Yukimura looked puzzled. "What anyone would know. That it happens every few decades, and that even though the skies are said to switch, Hoshido never gets as dark as Nohr, nor does Nohr ever get as light as Hoshido."

"And…?" Reina pressed.

"If you want to know more standard knowledge, there is none. But if you're looking for rumor and legend… I have heard that the changing of the skies triggers another change. Something beyond our world. The length and location of this change I do not know," Yukimura finished.

Well, it was good that he knew that much. Slightly disappointing that he didn't know more, though. She thought that as the head royal advisor, he might know more. It would make sense for the Hoshidan royalty to know of the portal in the Bottomless Canyon, given how long the country had existed, and how someone must have fallen in at some point. Then again, perhaps travellers were never believed. Perhaps the royal family did have legends of what had happened, but only the details of an "otherworldly place" had ever been recorded. Or the information had been lost. Reina didn't know.

In any case, his knowledge was useful despite how little there was. It would be easier for him to believe her with background knowledge than it would be for him to believe her if he knew nothing. The idea of travelling to another world was a fantastic one.

They had reached a door leading to the inner portion of the fort. A guard opened the door, and Yukimura and Reina entered.

The two sat down, and Reina gave her response. "Your rumors are fairly accurate. The skies will be changing in just under a week, and when they do the road to the otherworldly place the tales speak of will be cut off. Once that happens, travel there will become extremely difficult, if not impossible. I'm not certain of the details, since my being sent was a bit rushed, but that's the general idea."

Yukimura had an odd look on his face. "And how did you obtain this information?"

"Lady Azura," was Reina's response.

"Mm…" Yukimura glanced over to the door, as if he was waiting for someone to enter. Was it because he didn't want to continue their conversation? Or was it because he thought someone might be listening? "Why is this portal important to your coming here? Why should I care about it?"

"Because what lies in the other side is dangerous, and though we might not be able to go through once the portal on our side closes, those that lie beyond it will not be stopped, and will come to our land to destroy it."

"What proof do you have of this?"

"The port town in Nohr that Prince Ryoma stopped at during his disappearance. While there, he was attacked by the strange, invisible soldiers who come from the other world. Nothing like that exists in Hoshido, and while Nohr had its secrets, we both know they have nothing of that type there. They rely on the Faceless. Not whatever the odd things we encountered during that battle were."

"...these invisible soldiers, did they have a sort of purple glow to them?" Yukimura asked.

Reins raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Are you familiar with them?"

"I have not seen them myself, no. But I believe you, when you say they exist. That...matches up with something I kn- I have heard. As does this other land. I cannot deny that what you are saying might be true."

"Yet you hesitate?"

"I know you didn't come to speak with me, Reina. You're looking for Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka. To take them with you."

Reina nodded.

Yukimura continued. "While this invisible force is likely dangerous, and I do believe they should be eliminated, if they truly exist, allowing the entire royal family to follow you to fight them is not something I support. I can assume based off what you've told me that you are going to the Bottomless Canyon, and that you're going to go through the portal. That would take you directly into the enemy's territory.

"I do not know how large the enemy's army is, nor whom their leader is, nor the type of landscape or conditions you will face once you go through that portal. Corrin, as charismatic as she may be, does not have a full sized army behind her. I fear that regardless of the skill of her army, she may lose based on sheet numbers. If she loses and the princes and princesses are with her, then they will fall as well, dead in a foreign land where we cannot recover their bodies. Hoshido is already suffering with the loss of Queen Mikoto. The country's spirit would be crushed if we lost the Crown Prince and the others. And, if they died, the royal bloodline and the Dawn Dragon's blessing would be gone forever. The risks are too high in this situation. There are too many unknowns. So I'm sorry, but you will have to return to Corrin without what you came for."

Yukimura gave the slightest bow, and Reina sighed. He was being more careful than usual. Less accepting or willing to compromise. He must've still been worried and thrown off by Queen Mikoto's death.

But wait. There was something wrong with what he has said.

"How do you know where the portal is? I haven't told you," Reina said.

"Ah," Yukimura breathed, realizing his mistake. "That's a good question."

"And one you're capable of answering," Reina shot back.

"That I am."

"Will you?"

"Not yet."

"Then when?"

"Perhaps upon your return."

Reina sighed. "Really Yuki, there's no need to be so secretive. But if you insist… then I'm counting on you to hold yourself to your word and respond as soon as we lock eyes."

A chuckle from Yukimura. "I don't think I'll answer you that quickly, as it's not information I want spread too far, but I will answer."

With that the two sat in silence for a minute or so.

Reina, while glad Yukimura wasn't going to keep the information from her forever, and understanding of his reasons for not wanting Ryoma to go with her, wasn't content with what she'd gotten from her trip, however.

"So what am I to do now?" she asked. "Return to Lady Corrin and Robin and explain to them that this trip has gained nothing? That they will have to face the upcoming battles without support, knowing it will most likely doom them?"

Yukimura made a small noise, the sound catching in his throat. "Well, I can't-"

"No, you're not."

A new voice had entered the scene, cutting Yukimura off. It was Ryoma's.

"Prince Ryoma!" Yukimura exclaimed, shooting up into a standing position.

"Yukimura, I know you're worried for me, but I can't let this go on as it is. I can't leave Corrin to go running into such danger without support. Though she may have been raised by Nohrians, she's still Queen Mikoto's daughter. She's still my sister. I will not let any sibling of mine die if I can help it, especially since Sakura and Takumi are by her side," Ryoma explained, approaching them from where he'd just entered the room.

"Thank you, Prince Ryoma," Reina said with a bow.

Next to her, Yukimura was clearly upset. "Prince Ryoma, how long were you listening to us? If you've been listening long at all, then surely you heard me explain the troubles and issues that may arise if you-"

"Yukimura, I understand what may happen. But what kind of brother am I to let my siblings march to their deaths? What kind of king am I to let my subjects go off to a battle unsupported, especially since that battle is being fought for the sake of my own country?"

So Ryoma was going to go, regardless of what Yukimura said. If Corrin was Queen Mikoto's daughter, then Ryoma was surely King Sumeragi's son. The king had calmed down in his later years, but he was certainly headstrong as a young man, and Ryoma was no different. Passionate, determined, and sometimes frustratingly stubborn. Very devoted to his family. In this case, to the point of some recklessness.

But, though those things could be seen as bad by some, they were beneficial here. For Reina's, and thus Corrin's, goals at least.

"..." Yukimura's gaze had fallen to the side. "I understand your feelings, Lord Ryoma. You cannot let them go. But is there any chance I could convince you to simply retrieve your siblings and their retainers, rather than remaining by Corrin's side and thrusting yourself into danger?"

If he was anything like Sumeragi, which Reina knew he was after seeing him grow up through the years, the answer was no. And that was how he replied.

"Yukimura, I value your input, and I know you wish me only the best. But you're being too cautious here. I'm confident that the decision I'm making is the right one, and that Corrin's making the right decision too. So I can't just stay behind, or stop by Corrin's army only for long enough to take Takumi and Sakura back with me. I'm not giving them false hope."

"Then what troops do you plan do bring with you? I don't want a repeat of what you did in Cheve, disappearing on all of us without a word and without backup. If we hadn't managed to catch word of your destination and send in troops before that battle, I don't know what would've happened.

"Once again, you're putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Just yourself and your retainers will not be enough to win whatever strange war you're involving yourself in. So who are you planning to take, if my words cannot keep you here?"

"I'll listen to your recommendation on that. It's your job, after all. If I can't listen to your suggestion not to go, I'll have to find something else to listen to. Which and how many troops to bring seems like a good choice," Ryoma responded, a bit playful.

Though what was going on was undoubtedly frustrating Yukimura, the small appeasement tactic Ryoma was trying to work by still involving the man would hopefully make things better. He was stressed enough as it was, that much was clear. Reina doubted his heart would be set completely at ease by Ryoma listening to his advice on troops, but it would help. Somewhat. As a longtime friend of Yukimura, Reina was sure he wouldn't get a good night's sleep until the four (or five, depending on whether she counted Corrin. Should Azura be counted as well? That was a complicated question) members of the royal family had returned to the castle. But at least this way he wouldn't hurt himself too much with his worry. There was some peace to be found knowing he had helped his prince, even in a small way.

"When do we need to leave, Reina?" Ryoma asked.

"Tomorrow morning would be ideal," Reina responded. "We don't have much more time until the skies switch, and once the switch occurs we will no longer be able to travel from the area we're going to, which will delay to the point our loss will be almost guaranteed, if Robin and Lady Azura's words are any indication."

Ryoma nodded. "I'll go inform Hinoka and start preparing, then. Yukimura, in my absence I leave Hoshido in your capable hands."

Yukimura huffed. "Not for too long, I hope. I am an advisor, not a ruler. My place is at your side, giving you advice, not on the throne. Please prepare well and come back safe, Prince."

"No need for goodbyes now! I will be seeing you in the morning, after all."

"Perhaps, but I want to make sure you have the idea of returning planted firmly in your head before you go off doing anything crazy."

"Of course. Now good night, Yukimura, Reina."

"Goodnight, Prince Ryoma," the two replied in unison.

Once Ryoma had left, Reina turned to Yukimura with a smile.

"Thank you for doing this for us, Yuki. I know it doesn't help your heart much, but it will be worth it in the end," she said.

"It better be," Yukimura replied with a smile of his own.

"And I don't have to tell you to pick troops who won't go spreading news of our destination or travels around, do I?"

"Well you already have, so I would say not."

"Good. Now, are my chambers in any state for me to stay there for the night, or must I stay in one of the guest rooms?"


After several days of walking, the group was almost at the area Robin and the others had entered Valla from the last time. There was a slight problem with their route, though.

When they'd planned their route, they had planned it out so they would be able to get there as fast as possible, which meant going through the mountains. Which was a bit difficult, given it was an upward trek, but not impossible. Their legs would be much more tired or sore than Robin would like going toward a battle, but it was a reasonable sacrifice for the saved time.

But that wasn't taking the problem into account. See, when they'd read the map and talked to people living in towns along the way, they'd heard they would be walking through a region dominated by natural hot springs. Which would make things warm and probably more unpleasant, which again was not optimal.

Unfortunately, the problem (which Robin had been thinking about for the hour or so, once he realized that the area did not match the description of the hot springs he'd visited in his life) was that the hot springs only made up about a third of the region they'd been told was entirely dominated by hot springs. The rest… Well, they weren't going to have to worry about slogging through mud made by hot water. They were just going to have to watch for lava spouts. Because the ground they were walking over seemed to be part of a volcano.

Who would've thought it would happen to him twice?

Given, this time was a little bit different. The ground was flatter, and they weren't surrounded by the walls of a volcano. It was just like they were walking over a long piece of land that had lava running underneath it. Which was fairly worrisome, given they would instantly die if the ground underneath them crumbled away and dumped them in. That was definitely not optimal.

"Ugh, why does it have to be so hot here!" Charlotte grumbled from the back. "It's ruining my hair, and there definitely won't be any rich guys here. Not to mention I think I'm melting a little I didn't even know it could get this hot."

"Be glad…you're not wearing armor," Benny replied quietly, breathing fairly heavily.

The man had a point. Charlotte was near bare, and Benny was completely covered, save his head. He had to be roasting in that armor. Kellam had nearly fainted during the volcano battle, and Benny's getup wasn't that much different. Robin wouldn't be able to put Benny on any sort of strenuous duty until they got out of the lava plains if he didn't want to risk the man hurting himself. When Kellam had fallen it had been so loud that even the enemies, who normally ignored the man (which was quite annoying, given armored allies were great for attracting enemies' hits so their allies could stay unharmed), heard the man slam into the ground. Thankfully he had just tripped in his exhaustion, and hadn't fallen into any of the open pools, but it was still pretty terrifying. Come to think of it, Kellam probably had passed out for a split second, and just didn't want to admit it. Robin would have to get on him for that when he returned. It was important to tell people about your condition, not only for your own sake, but the sake of others. It wasn't good if you were relying on someone to protect you from something, only to be hurt because that person was too out of it to help you.

But that was another time and place. For now… Robin took off his coat and folded it over one of his arms. His family was from the desert, and he liked the heat more than most people did, so he was normally good with these sort of situations. But his heat? This humid heat? That was killer. Dry heat he could take, but this feeling of being sticky even without any sweat was deadly. Not that he wasn't sweating. He felt like he'd just come out of the ocean. A heated ocean. It was terrible.

Twenty or so feet away from Robin a large burst of steam rushed up from the ground, startling some of the people behind him. Robin just sighed.

"C'mon man, are you sure we shouldn't turn back?" someone asked him, Robin too hot to care who it was.

"Yes I'm sure. We're almost there. It'll take us longer to get out of this region going the way we came than it will take us to continue in this direction and get to the canyon."

At least, it would if the map was right. Which it had already proven to sort of not be. Hopefully that was just in geographic features and not distance.

"But what if we get hurt? You can see all the fire and lava. And the steam! What if it hits us? That last one was close!" Hayato shouted from the back.

Another sigh from Robin. He was getting a little annoyed (darn humid heat giving him a headache). "If you payed attention, you would notice that all the steam shoots and lava are coming out of very distinct cracks in the ground. As long as we avoid these cracks and the craters, we'll be fine. Hot, yes, but uninjured."

"Are you sure about that?" Hayato continued.

"Absolutely," Robin deadpanned.

He wasn't, but he was just going to treat it like he was because he didn't think he had it in him to consider all the ways his plan could get them killed in the area.

None of their troops had gotten killed when the Shepherds had their encounter with the hot lava place. So going off his previous luck, none of Corrin's troops would be killed by lava here, either. As long it was his luck that had done that, and not Chrom or Say'ri's.

"Na- Ugh, why is it that going through hot places is always the most 'convenient' path? Deserts, a volcano, a lava field… No, the desert shouldn't be included there. At least there I didn't feel like I was swimming," Robin muttered to himself.

Corrin, who was walking a little to his side, perked up a bit. "Wait a minute, what did you say?"

Robin frowned. "I feel like I'm swimming here. It's really humid."

Corrin shook her head. "No, no. The thing before that. About deserts and a volcano."

At that Azura sped up slightly, walking so she was right next to Corrin and able to hear the conversation a little better.

Robin grimaced. "Oh yeah, that. Back when I was with the Shepherds, we got in this situation where we were pretty badly outnumbered, and were looking for any sort of advantage we could get, or inconvenience we could force on our enemy. To make that advantage, or inconvenience, or whatever you called it, I decided to send my troops into a volcano. I was hoping that the enemy wouldn't follow, to be honest, but of course they did, so we had to fight in a volcano. One with lava. That would shoot out of these huge pools and then fall back down to the ground, either making the ground unusable or burning the people standing on it. Not something I was exactly looking to repeat, but it seems we don't have a choice. At least this time the lava is a lot more predictable, and it's more steam than lava?"

"Robin!" Azura gasped, clearly taken aback.

Corrin had a similar shocked expression on her face. "Uh, wow. That sounds...scary. Is that one of the things you have regrets about? Taking your allies into such a dangerous place? Especially if they got burnt by their surroundings. I can't imagine what a lava burn would feel like…"

"Oh it'll kill you if any significant amount falls on you," Robin said bluntly. Corrin's jaw dropped. "Small amounts though weren't as bad? I don't know. There were some guys that looked like they were in the path of some shooting lava that kept on fighting. But that might have been because they weren't hit. I'm not sure. But yeah, imagining a lava burn is painful enough, actually feeling one… Ouch."

"So you do regret it then?"

"Hell no. That plan worked out great. Yeah the fighting sucked because it was really uncomfortable being in a volcano, but none of my allies got hit by lava, and we won the battle way faster and with way fewer casualties than we would have if we'd fought outside. Not to mention it was pretty cool. Those are some memories I'll have for a while."

"I...suppose you will," Azura responded.

"Yeah. Hopefully this time the ground will be more stable and we'll have fewer people falling into pools of lava because the ground crumbled under them. Listening to people fall was not a pleasant sound. So avoiding that would be nice."

"Robin!"

It was Corrin to shout that time, and Robin looked over to her with a frown.

What, he was just being honest! And a little bit morbid if he was telling the truth. Was the situation weighing so heavily on him that he was acting oddly? Was he so tired that he didn't have the filter he normally did? Or was it because of Grima's influence on him? Robin hadn't tried to see if the dragon had woken up for a few days. Maybe Grima had come back and was rubbing off on Robin again.

Robin couldn't know for sure, though. He didn't have a very good sense for whether Grima was active or not. He hadn't noticed much before his scene on the boat, and he didn't feel off now. The only way he could check to see if Grima was conscious again was to yell in his head something to the effect of, 'Hey, any Fell Dragons up and about right now!?' and Grima could choose not to respond to that if he didn't want to. So maybe Grima was up and taking in what Robin was, his thoughts rubbing off on Robin. Or maybe that was something that could happen subconsciously, whether or not Grima was awake or trying to influence Robin.

Or, like he said, the extra morbidity could be all Robin's fault. For now he would blame Grima. If the dragon was awake then it was up to him to defend himself, and it would alert Robin to Grima's presence. If he wasn't, then it didn't matter anyway.

"Ah, sorry. I have a headache right now, so some of the stuff I'm saying might be a little off. That was too harsh."

"Don't worry about it." Corrin gave a small wave. "We're all tired right now. I wouldn't let Hayato know about the ground thing though. He's scared enough as it is. Though, now that I think about it, didn't you tell him that you were sure the lava wouldn't hit us? With what you just said, you don't sound 'absolutely' positive."

Robin shrugged. "Well… I'm mostly positive. Like I said, the lava and steam have consistently been coming from very clear areas. As long as we stay away from those and things continue as they have, we should be absolutely fine. Besides, we're far enough in that we can't get out quickly, so worrying about getting hit when we can't prevent it won't help us. Just think about other things and keep your mind clear."

"How...reassuring." Azura didn't sound very confident in her response.

Robin shrugged again. "It's as reassuring as this is going to get."

"I'll take what I can, then."

They kept walking for another fifteen minutes, chatting about whatever came to mind. Some was about their journey, some was about little details of their pasts. Thankfully, it didn't get any hotter, and the lava and steam followed the same pattern they had before. The area was barren, so there was nothing interesting to look at. A boring trip, if you asked Robin. Maybe some people would like the lava (such as Rinkah, who looked like she was having the time of her life), but he'd seen enough and wasn't having any more fun walking past it than he had in the past. At least in the desert he'd see little lizards and creatures scurrying about or flying up above. Here…there was nothing.

"Do you have any idea of whether Reina managed to make it to Hoshido and gain my sibling's support yet?" Corrin asked near the end of their conversation.

Azura shook her head. "No. We haven't received any communication from her, but we've been on the move so she wouldn't have sent anything. It couldn't get to us."

"Besides, if we'd heard something before now we would've told you." Robin explained. "You're the leader of this army, not either of us. We're the support. So don't worry, if we find anything important out we'll tell you. Both in this instance and later ones."

Hadn't she gotten the idea that he trusted her into her head already? Why was she so doubtful?

...Maybe it was an effect of finding out that pretty much her whole life was a lie. That would make it hard to trust people, most certainly. And he hadn't been entirely truthful with her from the past. And withheld information.

But still, he'd promised to be honest with her in the future, so it was time for her to lift her head up and believe in that!

"I know, I know! I just was hoping you'd forgotten to tell me or something! Reina not being here isn't good for any of us, so I was trying to hold onto the hope that we knew she was on her way," Corrin responded.

"That's reasonable," Azura said.

Corrin nodded, and posed another question. "Where did you ask Reina to meet us, anyway? At the spot we jumped, or in the area we're crossing through right now?"

"Anywhere in the general region, really."

"Ah."

Maybe he should have been more specific. If he'd told her to meet them in the hot spring (aka lava) region, then they'd know if she was on time or not by now. And if he'd told her to meet them at the jump point, they'd know whether she was on time and accompanied by Ryoma and crew by the time they reached that area. As it was, there was a chance they could pass each other without realizing it. Hopefully that wouldn't be the course of events.

"Robin!" Subaki's voice cried, drawing the tactician's eyes up to where Subaki was flying down from. "I've spotted a group of soldiers approaching us that appear the be Hoshidan!"

"Seriously!?" Corrin shouted back, eyebrows rocketing upwards. "That's… really great timing!"

Azura didn't look as optimistic. "Subaki said he saw soldiers approaching, not that the soldiers were particularly close. They could still be a ways away, which they likely are based on how far ahead Subaki was ordered to scout and the fact that we can't see them yet."

"That last part doesn't mean as much as it normally would though," Robin replied.

"How so?"

"With all this steam and the slight incline, our eyes can't see nearly as far into the distance as we would in a flatter place on a clear day. They may be fairly close, as I, and probably Corrin, hope for."

Corrin gave a few words of confirmation, and Subaki landed next to them.

Gesturing to the direction Subaki had come from, Corrin asked the pegasus knight for more details. "How far out are the Hoshidans? And have you spotted Reina or my brother among them?"

"The steam was making it hard for me to see them, but I did see a blue shape on a Kinshi that could be Reina. As for Prince Ryoma, he wears red armor which makes it hard to distinguish from the ground and lava around here," Subaki explained.

Corrin's face fell. "Ah, then you don't know whether my brother is on his way?" She sounded quite disappointed.

"Ah, ah, ah! I didn't say that. I wouldn't be the great knight I am if I were unable to identify my crown prince! Thankfully, my perfect eyes were able to make out the white of his garments next to the gleam of his red armor, so your brother is most assuredly on his way."

"How long do you think it'll take our forces to meet up?"

"Mmm, it depends. I'd say… twenty to thirty-five minutes. If both they and us keep at our current pace."

"Thank you Subaki," Corrin said with a slight bow. Subaki responded with his own, slightly deeper bow.

The pegasus knight then directed his mount toward Sakura, where he began to speak with the princess.

It was then that Beruka landed beside them, having come back from her own scouting mission. In addition to Ryoma and the Hoshidans, Corrin's army was waiting on Xander and the Nohrians to meet them.

Xander had heard the request back during the port battle, after all, so they hadn't sent him a reminder. It was too much of a detour. Plus, there simply wasn't enough time to make it to the heart of Nohr and back to the Bottomless Canyon before the skies turned. Either Xander had left before Corrin's messenger would've reached Castle Krakenburg and he would come, or he had decided not to come and wouldn't be joining them.

Beruka's message was short and emotionless. "Nohrian troops are approaching from the west."

"Great! So Xander is on his way." Corrin had a smile on her face as did a small fist pump.

"Negative," Beruka corrected. "There were no mounted troops with the Nohrians. Just foot soldiers. Prince Xander was not with them."

Corrin's hand dropped. Robin frowned.

"Why would there be Nohrians coming for us then…?"

"Hans was among them. He might have found out about our path and received orders from King Garon to stop us, as we've been declared enemies of Nohr."

Robin let out a small curse. Azura gave an agitated sigh from her spot on the other side of Corrin.

Corrin herself kept quiet, asking Beruka how long she thought it would take Hans' group to arrive.

"Twenty five minutes. With five minutes on either side," was the curt response.

"That puts Hans as arriving in the same window as the Hoshidans," Azura remarked.

"Except with five minutes less tacked onto the end," Robin added.

"Yes," Corrin said, "But they also have five minutes more on the beginning. Maybe the Hoshidans will arrive first!"

With a small chuckle, Robin shrugged. "If you say so. For now we need to get to somewhere we can battle without risking too much injury from the steam and lava. I'll go yell at everyone to get prepared. Beruka, can you look for a suitable place?"

"Yes."

Beruka then took off, and Robin began to alert the others to prepare for battle.


Author's note:

I don't like this chapter very much... Both this chapter that I've written, and the in-game chapter. The fire place. Areas like that kind of depress me to be honest. I'm not sure how I'm going to make things go. I thought giant fire walls were weird so I made it lava and steam spurts, which aren't practical because if you get that close to lava in real life you'll burn up and die, but whatever. This is a video game. It's fantasy. Good enough.

Originally posted November 1st, 2018. Word count: 8,291, not including author's notes.

Until next time, Mariyekos.