Deliverer of Birthright

by romeoraiden

My First Story. Two Nations. One desperate enough to bring a terrible war, the other more concern for themselves, and at the center, a sheltered Princess is forced to make difficult choices for the good of all. In her quest to do what's right many will stand with her and many more will oppose, throwing her in a state of despair. And from the chaos a Fallen Hero will rise again.

31. Chapter 31: Make it Count

Chapter 31: Make it Count

'This is it, right? Surely it must be.' Corrin kept repeating to herself as she at last stands face to face with who by all accounts should be her sworn enemy, the same man she once proudly called father and strived so hard to be someone he could be proud of. How dire have things truly turned for the worse, what's more his transformation stole too much of his humanity than Elise when using Grimmafication and now he's gone from Demon King to Dragon King. Which one could possibly be worse, she can't help but desperately wonder? To add insult to injury, she also now has to once again face the men she still considers her brothers and her other sister to combat and they look as fed off with this whole mess as she is and the only one she has left to aid him is Robin, who honestly is all she may need to handle this fight but there is also the issue of rescuing Azura who is under Garon's clutches. That just might be the hardest part besides staying alive.

"I knew you two still lived, that's almost an inevitability at this point." Xander said, seemingly unsurprised to see them, even as Garon came soaring through the sky and rain down hellfire, quite literally, on the Ice Tribe, freed them and began to lay down the slaughter of the century upon Nohr's enemies and for a while he believed that Corrin and Robin were among the enemy casualties, the latter couldn't really fight back because of his magic power reduced to an utter mess.

"You're more cockroaches than dragons." Garon spoke up next, his distorted voice more disturbing than anything Corrin has ever heard thus far.

"Corrin." Camilla said next, a mix of longing an anger in her, the latter likely because of Robin.

"Everyone… if this is really our Endgame, then I would at least ask for one last question before we do this." Corrin finally spoke, however, Garon seemed uninterested in hearing her out as he roars, breathing a torrent of crimson flames at the white duo. Robin skillfully dodges the flames, dragging Corrin with him and then fires a blast of Ellight attacks at him, however the spell seemed largely ineffective against the King's new body.

"The time for talk is over, now is the time to die!" Garon roared again, flying after the two and swings his tail at them. Robin avoids the tail sweep with the intent to make another attack right at his face but Garon quickly fires a fireball to blast them back down, but right at the nick of time, Robin throws Corrin up above the fireball so only Robin gets hit, sending him spiraling backwards but is otherwise still able to fight despite the flames really harming him. Corrin follows up by slamming Garon in the head with both her hands transform into beastly fists, this made the King growl in pain and force him back on the ground but seems to have handled it really well but doing so made his hold on Azura loosen enough for Robin to fly towards her and pull her out of her stepfather's clutches and drag her away and Corrin from the Nohrian Royals.

"After them!" Garon demanded to his children who begin the relentless hunt.

"You two are still in one piece." Azura said with extreme relief for her friends.

"Yes, and so is mother." Corrin replied in confirmation. "But quickly, where is everyone else?"

"Our friends and most of the Ice Tribalists managed to escape into the Astral Plane but Garon still took out a considerable amount of our forces all on his own and your Replicas were at the center of the slaughter." Azura said with dread, not even the news of her mother's recovery could set her at ease.

"So everyone thinks I'm dead." Corrin muttered.

"Don't worry about that now. Where's Yato?" Robin asked Azura.

"Last I saw it, Fake Corrin was separated from it near the Chiefdom's house." Azura said.

"Crap! I can't believe that in spite of everything the Ice Tribe ended up in total ruins." Corrin cursed.

"At least we managed to get almost everyone to safety, so the village itself matters not."

"She's right. We haven't lost this war yet." Robin assured her and right on time, Robin turns a quick right to avoid a dark blast heading towards them from below fired from Leo as the Dark Royal Family is gaining on them and in the nick of time they arrive where Yato should be and boy is it all torn asunder.

"I hate to do this but we'll have to divide and conquer." Robin said as he lands the two down and gives Corrin Ragnell and Azura a Blessed Lance out from Morgenstern. "I'll hold off Garon, you do what you can against your siblings and hopefully Azura will be all the backup you'll need."

"Do I look like I can do anything against Champions of Darkness." Azura protested at this abysmal plan.

"I don't see Ryoma or Hinoka anywhere!" Corrin snapped back. "And where's your Pendant?"

"Camilla took it before I could use it against Garon."

"Figures." She muttered and with her fast reflexes, Corrin blocks an incoming attack from Xander, as both sacred blades clash with each other, and this time she is more than ready, releasing a shockwave from Ragnell that knocks her ex-brother and his mount away from her. "Holy! No wonder Hana is obsessed with your other sword, this thing feels amazing."

"Don't go developing a fetish for her too." Robin said as he summons Reficul as the fight commences and he leaves the two to face Garon, who acknowledges him as the bigger challenge and attacks him.

"Once and for all, let's see what's really so special about you." Garon said, charging in to slash at the Tactician who blocks using his black blade that does the trick and more, with its power unleashing and pushing the dragon hand away from him, though this did not hurt the King but intrigue him. As Robin thought, he's far more resilient than Iago, no way was this ever going to be easy. Harnessing more Light Magic, he fires several volleys of Shine Spells directly at Garon's snout, causing him to lash out and attempt to bite Robin but he manages to dodge being eaten and then swing Reficul at his jaw, unfortunately Garon was quicker and slams him with his other arm from above, sending Robin crashing to the ground, though thankfully he is able to shrug it off and land on his feet.

"Tough old man. Stronger than Wrath's Dragon as well as even stronger than Tiki." Robin bemused as he looks up to see another torrent of hellish flame heading towards him that he not only avoids in the nick of time but also flies pass to reach Garon and again try to thrust his sword on him but instead has to protect himself against another fireball at point blank. "Crap!" He cursed, thrusting his sword forward to strike the incoming attack and manages to dispose of the flames and once done, he sees that Garon has vanish from his sight.

"Of course he be the silent type of beast while composed entirely of darkness." Robin muttered in frustration, searching almost desperately for the King of Nohr and was lucky enough to notice him who like a shadow manifested below him and could've bitten him in two if he were a second slower. This thankfully gave him the opening he wanted as he is close enough to shove Reficul right between his boney nostrils and already, the sword's power begins to surge through the King as he roars in pain, the same pain that Iago experience, though unlike that treacherous man turned demon, the King is doing well to shook it off and quite literally bitch slaps his could've been son in law out of his sight, as well as the sword that falls off Robin's hand but he is able to catch it in time.

Garon growls from the pain on his face but to Robin's surprise, the wound he inflicted regenerates and now he just looks angrier.

"What is it with higher lifeforms and regenerative abilities?" He groaned at the disadvantage, which is not a feeling he's used to since he is typically more accepting of being outmatched.

Now annoyed, Garon flies after him faster than he displayed previously, leaving Robin unable to avoid it and instead blocks by creating a Shield of Light that does well enough, however the impact was so great that he gets blown far and already on the other side of the village. Robin growls in pain from the severity he endured but no way he's letting up now.

"You're gonna have to try much harder than that if you want to best me, boy. So much more." Garon warned.

His arsenal of magic attacks remains so far limited when compared to Elise who seemed like she was never short on tricks but that could be him holding back due to not taking this fight seriously enough but that may be unlikely considering that he must know by now the danger Robin poses. Best thing he can think of is that he's buying his time and maybe catch him by surprise, he is a brutal but wise old king as such that is the most likely scenario.

"You'll see all I got soon enough and I think even you will be surprised." Robin promised, as he channels more magic for another spell. He may be able to resist Reficul but that does not mean he is invulnerable, it just means that he has to cut deeper and before he does that he must catch him off guard. "Here goes nothing. I call upon Naga's Light!" He summons a light whitish green sphere above him and from the sphere come out four light-green serpentine dragons that look like they're more made of green mist and at once charge at Garon.

"More light tricks? How pitiable of you Robin, and against all that I have become." Garon mocked, as he makes a strong flap from his wings before he spreads them upwards, this results in a dark sphere being created above him as well and for a moment Robin thinks it's another Apocalypse spell before he realize it's more akin to a Goetia, judging by the vast amount of purple lightning surging through it and as he extends his hands forward he sends it firing and clashes with Robin's Light attack. For at least six seconds both spells seem evenly match before Garon proves victorious and destroys Naga's Light, followed by crashing into Robin, resulting in a massive explosion in the sky that the shockwaves affects the people below as Garon's children, loyal and rebellious ones alike are knock to the ground, putting their own fight on hold.

"Of course, one who is so receptive and connected to the true nature of magic such as yourself, you surely cannot be knocked down so easily and would see benefit in defeat. Such as an ambush from above." Garon mused to himself looking up and deflects a lightning attack from above that he easily blocks with his barehand. "Or if you are truly desperate to win, then from behind." He deduced again and swings his tail behind him and manages to strike at Robin who escaped the explosive darkness and moved fast enough behind him, and even managed to shoot an Elthunder to serve as a distraction but it all proved feeble and he gets knock down, nearly crash landing on the ruinous streets of the Ice Tribe Village but managed to stay airborne.

"DAMN!" Robin gasped as that tail swipe really hurt but he is more so flabbergasted by how he was able to correctly deduce his latest tactic, a primitive one under firm observation to be sure but he has the power to pull it off. It was as though he had an eye on him full time.

"You truly have exceptional promise. Xander spoke true in the misfortune of having you as our enemy, you could've been my greatest General and High Lord in my army and court if Corrin's pathetic mindset had stayed faithful to the Darkness." Garon chuckled at Robin's predicament. The Dark King has been greatly impressed with Robin's masterful talents in warfare, prior to Corrin returning to Hoshido, he only caught a glimpse of the Tactician once when he visited Krakenburg to aid Xander or Leo with some errands for Corrin. At first glance anyone would brush him off as another unimportant and insignificant servant of Nohr and they all did but then the lack of dark clouds started popping up around the same time that Robin was leaving the Northern Fortress to fulfill more tasks and Garon saw it as too much of a coincidence to ignore and he had his spies watch over him but there was never any indication that he could use magic. When he left for his journey to find himself his spies lost all trace of him, and for his best Spymasters to ever come off emptyhanded was unheard off, strengthening his curiosity, and when he came back to the Fortress and he presented Corrin with a golden sword that by design alone alarmed him that it is the Yato as a gift, he desperately wanted Notre Sagesse explored for answers but due to an inconvenience in his spy network it couldn't have been done a lot sooner and by the time he confirmed that Robin has indeed visited the Rainbow Sage he had already sent Corrin to the Bottomless Canyon.

Fortunately, despite the nuisance of the Barrier of Concord warding off all Nohrian aggression, Nohr could still send people to work in reconnaissance, even in Suzanoh and it was there where Garon's suspicions were confirmed that Robin is indeed a Mage and a powerful one at that, easily surpassing any Sorcerer in Nohr, even himself if he is to be honest. What a massive frustration that discovery turned out to be, if only he had known sooner he could've done something about this menace but given the fact that he's managed to deceive everyone for this long brings to light his ability to snuff out espionage and avoid them all together. How troublesome but infinitely more intriguing.

"Such a waste. It might've been nice to have a son in law that I could tolerate." Garon snickered as he raises his right hand and turns it into a fists, purple miasma surging in it and the ground below Robin begins to shake violently, even though he is still flying he can feel the violent tremor cause by ungodly dark magic, almost three neighborhoods are lifted off above and get matched up together for the purpose of incasing Robin in a large prison of snow and earth.

"Crap! Crap! Crap! As if Sloth wasn't bad enough!" Robin panicked, trying to escape but saw no other path to safely pass through except by going up, though it immediately crossed his mind that Garon could be anticipating it but he'll have to risk it and flies up at Mach Speed. His assumption was proven false as Garon did not attack as soon as he got out of it, in fact Garon all but vanished from sight. How the hell could something so big up an disappear without a Warp Spell.

"Oh crap…" Realization dawned on Robin, because of all the stress from the battle against Iago still fresh on his mind, he forgot that teleportation is possible in Niflheim, and right below him, Garon's arm comes bursting out of the prison of snow and earth he made grabbing Robin tightly and squished so hard that he can't break free.

"You're pretty fast for an old man." He mumbled.

"Did you really think you were the only true master of magic?" Garon questioned in a mock scoff, his eyes now glowing red from the darkness below and he fires another breath attack, this time close and personal to Robin.

---

With an ever hardening heart, Corrin forces herself to pay no mind to the battle going on between the love of her life and foster father and the calamity resulting from their fight as she once again confronts her siblings of the dark, and the constant struggles of the war occurring in Nohr soil have significantly improved her that she is able to hold her own against Xander much better than last time, though she is still unsure if she can still defeat him, especially since she also has Camilla and Leo to deal with and only Azura to support her.

Leo steps forward to attack, releasing a wave of darkness that spreads across the ground and out from it are blackish vines with thorns threatening to do more than just entangle Corrin, of which she clearly can't allow to be caught. Harnessing her Dragonstone, Corrin's face swifts into her dragonic self and fires a water breath that not only destroys the vines, it also dispels the darkness from Leo's spell and the water also goes for him though it only knocks him to the ground, the same cannot be said for the Grimm he was riding on.

She next confronts Camilla, the elder sister fed off with this whole night is more than complacent about going all out, even against Corrin. Camilla pins her to a wall and could've done much more but said wall was very weak and as it crumbled apart, the two Princesses fall down with Camilla briefly on top of Corrin before she kicks her off. The two are quick to get back up and Camilla able to strike first, hitting her with the pommel of her axe right in Corrin's neck that knocks her back down, thankfully said neck is protected by dragon scales so the hit only knocked her off her feet so Corrin is able to fight back just as quick and kicks Camilla away from her, though the Malig Master is just as sturdy despite her human flesh and still charges in to slam her axe down on Corrin who has more than enough time to avoid it. Anticipating this, Camilla follows by shooting a fireball.

"Gods dammit!" Corrin shouted as the fires hits her point blank but doesn't really bother her that much, though it does distract her for Camilla to launch another attack, thankfully Azura steps in and mustering all her strength, she was able to parry Camilla's axe, allowing Corrin to deliver a mighty hit that also blows their older sister away.

Corrin then pushes Azura out of the way as Xander comes in next and the force from Siegfried would've done real harm to Azura. Corrin pushes Xander a few feet away from her and proceeds to thrust Ragnell towards him, that the Crown Prince successfully parries, following by thrusting his own sword at her, with Corrin barely mustering the reflexes to avoid Siegfried. Now that she is close to Xander, she again swings Ragnell horizontally at Xander's chest but the Dark Prince blocks the blade with the shield he always keeps attach to his left forearm. Even though it is unnecessary given his two better defenses, he always kept it around in case he needed the extra defense as well as a good blunt weapon, which any shield has always proven to be. He pushes Corrin away from her and delivers more strong slashes, Corrin again barely able to keep up to the faster and stronger swing until she again loses her balance, giving him the chance to deliver a clean vertical slash towards her face, luckily Corrin still kept her Dragon face on, which took the blow from Siegfried remarkably well and with all her might, human and more, she pushes the Sacred Treasure off her and behind the startled Prince who receives a powerful kick to the stomach that knocks him into a wall.

Groaning from the pain, Xander is able to mostly shrug it off enough to partially force himself back up, leaving himself momentarily on his knees, unlike Leo and Camilla who are still down, likely still strain from the previous fight, which is the best explanation why Corrin is doing so well. Iago was incredibly powerful as a demon but he was ultimately not that strenuous physically as he was more of an emotional turmoil.

"Your power! So this is what you're like when you let loose. I'm almost impress." Xander mused halfheartedly.

"Not really something you can marvel at considering how exhausted you three are from Robin's machinations." Corrin replied, knowing the real reason why she's winning and yes, all is fair in love and war but for the sake of the warrior spirit, she can't help but feel dishearten by how objectively speaking she is still less than Xander.

"Indeed, however it is surprising to see you embrace your monstrous-self given your pathetic display during the attack on Suzanoh." Xander said recalling how different she was in that battle. "War has truly harden you, Corrin."

"War hardens everyone, all this Wrath, Greed and Pride has made every last one of us into monsters." Corrin replied bitterly as she morphs her face back to her human self. "Not just Nohr but Hoshido as well. All of us. If only the pen could be mightier than the sword."

"Yes, deep down we're all wishing for it in our own different ways." Xander muttered. "But more than monsters, we are victims of circumstances, the mistakes of the past breeds sorrow not so easily dispelled. At first."

"You mean like me?" She stated. "After all, none of this would've happened if Nohr hadn't made the mistake of letting me live. When an animal goes on a rampage, the best solution isn't to reason with it, let alone a behemoth." Those words slightly caught Xander off, quickly catching up to her meaning.

"So, you figured it out. I'm surprised it took you this long, after all, the existence of the White Behemoth wasn't kept a secret and Hoshido's Ninjas who constantly watch our lands had to have put the pieces together as did my soldiers when they saw you in Kurosaki."

"All that matters right now is why? Why did you let me live after all those deaths I caused. You said it yourself that hundreds of innocent people were slaughtered in that rampage." Corrin demanded.

"Corrin…" Xander uttered before he could say anymore as someone comes crashing down near them, who is Robin, blasted from the sky by Garon.

"Robin!" Azura called out to him.

"WHY IS HE STILL ALIVE?!" Camilla snapped in outraged and disbelief over how the man she loathes so much can even handle her father at full strength.

"Concern over me later! Yato! Now!" Robin hastily demanded getting back up.

"Give me a moment!" Corrin turns to what remains of Felicia's house and mentally hopes that she'll forgive her as she fires one big shockwave from Ragnell that destroys it all in its entirety, revealing Yato that was buried under it all, alongside it is the Icarus Ring. "You know, you could've done that yourself."

"Your dad!" He reminded her.

"Good point…" She muttered, and at the nick of time Garon comes crashing down.

"Enough games, children. It's time to die." Garon declared scornfully, glaring at Corrin and giving the impression that he's going for her next but chooses to finish things with Robin.

"Indeed." Robin bemused as he rushes for Yato, only to be swiftly caught by the King who stumps his right hand down on him.

"No more tricks out of your puny arse, boy." He growled with mild annoyance of Robin's resilience. Sadly for him, Robin can't be stopped as he finally manages to get a better cut on him with Reficul and slices off his arm to free himself, making the Dragon King groan from the sudden pain.

"Father!" Xander cried.

"My tricks seldom end because I'm always three steps ahead, Garon. You may have gotten the drop on me a few times but your luck is bound to end!" Robin taunted.

"Such youthful arrogance. Such gall!" Garon hissed as he rapidly regrows a new hand.

"That is so not fair!" Corrin shouted.

"No! I'm just saying things for how they are, which you're about to find out." Robin swore and Corrin, having the time to think it over calls Yato as it levitates to her hand, along with the ring using the blade's wind and rushes to Robin's side and Azura behind them.

"Bold words, children, but ultimately just words. You can't defeat me, especially not with an incomplete Sacred Treasure." Garon sneered.

"There's no need for a complete Yato right now." Robin commented as he places his hand on the sword's grip while Corrin is still holding it and to her surprise, Yato begins to glow without her command with the sky-blue glow turning silver and the two then exchange looks and him wordlessly telling her to leave the rest to him.

Sadly or fortunately, it could go either way, the fight ends up being put on hold as a bright light shines right behind the three traitors of Nohr that catches all of them off guard and from the light several arms come out that grab the trio and pulls them into it, and completely vanish as soon as the light fades.

"Hmph!" Garon scoffed.

"They've escaped." Leo hissed.

"Not by choice from the looks of it, given Robin's grand speech about ending things here and now." Xander sighed, finally able to get back on his feet.

"Indeed. The boy is clearly not one to leave things half-baked." Garon said as his dragon body begins to dissolve into mist that shrink until it is human side and he reverts back to his true appearance. "Either this buys us more time to strike harder or for them matters not. Niflheim is ours now."

---

"ARG! Gods dammit!" Corrin cried at the sudden forcefulness that dragged them away but the tension was very quick to subside when she realized that they are now back in the Astral Plane, more crowded than she ever thought it could ever be and if she is to be honest, she actually prefers all the privacy this place initially offered, though Lilith prefers to be a part of a huge crowd so if not for the circumstances, this would be a moment of celebration for her.

"Corrin!" Ryoma breathed with a heavy heart and almost disbelief to see her as he, Ryoma and Kaze were the ones who dragged them back here.

"I knew you couldn't go down so easily." Hinoka sobbed as she wraps her in a tight hug, almost squishing the life out of her but Corrin's not going to complain.

"Lady Corrin!" Felicia cried out as all her friends rush to them, all of them looking as worst for wear as they are, well Robin as she and Azura are fine for the most part.

"Oh, prays the Gods that you have returned to us." Jakob said with glee.

"We thought we lost you?" Sakura uttered unable to hold back the tears as she wraps herself around Corrin.

"Pay me no mind, let's just be glad that we all made it back alive." Corrin tried to shrug them off out of her guilt since it was her clone that they actually saw apparently ''die''. She really hopes nothing heartwarming occurred and any of them bring it up otherwise she'll really feel like crap.

"Paying you no mind is always going to be a challenge for us, I mean Garon had you both pin down on the ground and then set you ablaze before our eyes." Takumi muttered.

"Hello, Robin." Corrin shrugged pointing nonchalantly at their very own Superman as the obvious factor for her survival thus far in this long war.

"Not to pull a Jakob but he wasn't in the best condition to fight against Garon due to still being under the effects of whatever Leo did to him." Kaze pointed out and now feels sore about it.

"And you shouldn't have. I would've made sure to be fully detailed on how utterly useless he was that time." Jakob scoffed.

"I love to disappoint you, Jakob, and I can assure you all that I am the real Robin. My Replicate, according to Corrin was able to pull a last minute spell that dragged her out of the way in time for me to make it back here since my task in Demon's Falls ended." Robin assured them while helping to cover over Corrin's stunt, which proved to be a blessing in disguise if both replicas really did get fried in front of everybody.

"Really? Well, that explains how you were able to hold your own so well against Garon's Dragon Force so well, I would've removed my Mark as a safety percussion a lot sooner if I hadn't picked up on your magic signature." Lilith mused.

"Holding my own against Garon is a very long stretch, if not for the Royals' secret ability to transform into half-dragons, he be six feet under, figurately speaking." Robin muttered as that fight was infinitely more brutal than Iago and the Sins.

"You call that abomination against Godhood a half-dragon?" Takumi muttered.

"Well, that's basically what Dragon Force is, a power that allows those of Precursor blood to transform into Dragon Hybrids, the most powerful users like Garon are lucky enough to look the part of pure-breeds but in the end they are ultimately just halflings." Lilith explained. "However, this form is unlike mine and Corrin's ability to turn into a fully-flesh dragon. It is a truly unique power."

"Any chance that we could access this power coursing through our blood?" Ryoma asked.

"Not through a method that I know of I'm afraid." Lilith replied regrettably.

"How was Garon able to achieve this transformation anyway?" Hinoka asked.

"The Dusk Dragon's blood coursing through his veins and the Grimm are that same Dragon's creations so it is an easy access for him, though I imagine the reason he didn't utilize it before implies that he still has difficulty harnessing it and remains imperfect, meaning that perhaps using it again could be costly for him." Lilith explained.

"Okay, so our survival means something but now what?" Takumi asked.

"We return home, to Suzanoh and put the Niflheimians under Hoshidan protection until we reach the end of this war." Ryoma declared.

"I'll begin Marking the closest destination to the Capital." Lilith said marching to the Gateway.

"Everyone, I'm so sorry that I dragged you all into this mess. All the losses tonight are my fault." Corrin apologized remorsefully.

"Corrin, in spite of the situation and the cruel reality of war you chose to stay true to your morals and protect the innocent. Even if it was all for the sake of your friends, what was done was the right thing. The Land of Niflheim may have fallen to Nohrian rule but the people are ultimately what matter, we saved them. That's on you." Ryoma said, praising her for her choice, as he himself is relieved that they did come to help the Ice Tribe, certain that he may not have been able to live with himself if he'd left these people behind.

"Corrin, to see you alright is more than words could say." Flora uttered as despite losing Niflheim to Nohrian domination, having so many of her people safe and sound helps her feel more relief than she's ever been in a long time.

"Think nothing of it, Flora. What are friends for, if not bearing each other's burdens." Corrin smiled at the former blue maid and out of pure bliss the two hug one another with compassion, and it's then that they realize that this is the first time the two had actually hugged.

---

"I know this will be difficult for a lot of you, but you have my word that this will be a temporary refuge and once this war ends you will all return home." Ryoma spoke with assurance to the Ice Tribalists who have all been brought to Hoshido as the United Army was forced to make a retreat back here after the colossal battle in Niflheim and will now be escorted to their momentary homes.

"Once again, I am in your debt, Hoshidans. Words cannot express the gratitude my people owe you." Kilma said with a bow of respect to the Hoshidan Royals.

"Like my daughter no doubt told you, think nothing of it. We all share a common goal, Chief." Mikoto said warmly as she orders her guards to tend to the Tribalists, helping them feel at home. "From what you told me, things could've been uglier." She began to say as soon as the Ice people were out of sight.

"Yes, a lot's happened that we were expecting minus for one last minute shock fest from the Nohrians." Ryoma muttered. "I knew that with the Grimm, they were capable of so many great things but what I just saw in those last moments was too close for comfort. Robin's clone was unusable to do anything about Garon and the real one barely managed to stay at a stalemate, and the rest of us didn't fare much better."

"Not much of a surprise, really, humans being no match for a dragon, let alone a close enough knockoff is a predictable outcome." Mikoto sighed. "Still, there must be a way to work this out?"

"You'll have to ask Robin, all our hope in assaulting Windmire lies with him now, and Corrin as well, of course." Ryoma replied.

"Wow, saying that must hurt your pride." Mikoto teased.

"There are a million reasons why that was completely uncalled for." Ryoma muttered with irritation towards his mother.

"Don't think I forgot about our previous argument, young man." Mikoto lectured him. "At any rate, rest up, you're all going to march in no matter what so you might as well relax, get your affairs in order and whatnot."

"Jokes and whatever else aside, how are you doing for yourself? You didn't look all that well when we returned." Ryoma asked as Mikoto wasn't looking her best when they saw each other again and considering that they haven't seen each other face to face for weeks her less than enthusiastic behavior is worrying to say the least.

"I just have a lot on my mind lately, same as you, plus, if you recall, the newer Barrier came with some headaches." Mikoto said while rubbing her forehead as recreating the Barrier of Concord had some minor side effects on the caster, such as sudden headaches that made Mikoto unfocused and even woke her up at night that she needed a healer at all times to mend them. Not to mention that she would also get fairly dizzy but none of it was ever serious enough to worry for her health, let alone her life. Ryoma was assured that they subsided recently but it seems that might've been wishful thinking.

"Will it be alright to be walking about?" Ryoma asked worried.

"You know me, I'm glutton for punishment and the worsts are the ones I inflict on myself." Mikoto shrugged.

"That's a poor habit that has to stop soon."

"Ah, to be young and gullible again." Mikoto mused, paying her son no mind and walks away. "Family Dinner will be ready in three hours. No excuses for not attending and bring as many friends as you want."

"Young and gullible." Ryoma muttered, not exactly offended but annoyed. "No one below fifty is considered old enough to call someone young and gullible in Hoshido."

"And how old is mom again? The topic never did came up." Corrin asked as the siblings regroup.

"Old enough not to be so stubborn that she could even test the patience of stone, which she and Takumi do way too frequently." Ryoma sighed.

"Right, like you'd never driven stone crazy before." Takumi retorted but with humor this time.

"Under no circumstances will I dignify that with an answer, and neither will the rest of you." Ryoma retorted, causing his siblings to laugh at his expense regardless.

"Anyways, Ryoma, what's really going on, you know mother always has something on her plate to deal with." Hinoka asked as she can tell that her big brother is concern about something regarding their mother.

"Merely as worried as anyone should harbor for their parents, and as I said, she seems off. No matter how grim things get she would always try to put on a strong face for us as I would do as well but when we came back, she didn't even tried to hide her exhaustion and considering how long we've been away and what we just overcame, she seemed more caught off by something else, and whatever it is has her sad even now." Ryoma said really concern.

"When you put it like that, she did seem preoccupied with another matter." Hinoka said now taking the time to really think about Mikoto. "I admit to be a little curious but I'm sure it can't be that big of a deal."

"Yes, maybe I'm just still jumpy from Garon's assault." Ryoma sighed.

"That's something we all share but at the very least we're back home where we are safe." Sakura insisted.

"She's right, and besides, if this is bothering you that much, why not just push forward with the answers." Corrin suggested.

"She always brushes aside any topics she doesn't want to discuss with me. A problem that has been consistently hazardous, especially when she neglected to tell us about her death and like the Chevians like to say, old habits die hard." Ryoma then groans over how complicated their mother can be.

"She may say no to you but maybe she might be more open to me." Corrin suggested and in a way she may seem like the wisest choice to ''crack'' Mikoto, as she would naturally want to be open with the daughter she still barely knows as a means to connect some more.

"Have a crack at it, just don't be surprised if you hit a dead end." Hinoka said.

"It'll be fine." Corrin shrugged and walks away to find her mother but not before passing by her retainers. "I'm gonna go have a mother-daughter bonding so try not to kill each other while I'm away. Robin. Jakob."

"We'll try to put more effort this time around, you're Highness." Robin shrugged, somewhat playfully as he lies down in a chair and sighs dramatically. It wasn't until now that he finally took the time to relax and try set his mind at ease, today was too exhausting that thinking straight right now is a challenge. Just when he thought telling everyone the truth was so stressful, he has to fight demons and dragons again. "Why couldn't I'd just stayed dead?" He whispered to himself.

"Hey, are you dying or something?" Lilith asked, walking to him, seeing how he looks like he's about to combust.

"Death would be a mercy, me still living is Fate's way of spiting me." He mumbled.

"Does that mean that Jakob's not the only one among our comrades that wished it was the real you that got caught in Garon's possible Hellblaze?"

"There's always someone around the block that dreams of me catching hellfire, and I so do love to disappoint." Robin mused a little.

"Evidently." Jakob hissed. "But the fake you did a way more adequate job in keeping our Mistress safe, so I'll give you a pass, just this once."

"Well, it's always nice to feel special." Robin joked. "How about all of you, I doubt my replica could've prepared for such an attack in time?"

"Half of our forces are gone and we were only able to escape because of our own dragon. How do you think it went for us?" Azura said somewhat sarcastically and dare anyone say it, vindictive.

"I'm sorry, Azura. You know I didn't mean it in any casual way." Robin sighed.

"And you know I ain't got anything against you, it's just… it was one thing to hear everybody describe Garon as this ferocious monster, seeing him quite literally as such is another thing altogether."

"Monsters for parents is a diam a dozen but at the very least he seemed to have wanted you back." Jakob said.

"Yes… he made that abundantly clear in his own ''caring'' way, I think. And for a split second I thought that maybe that might've been for the best. The relentless onslaught between two families, maybe being locked up by the other could at least ease the pain for myself." Azura muttered.

"Only for a split second? What changed your mind?" Robin asked.

"You, mostly. Somehow the confirmation that you and Corrin were still kicking even though I already knew that snapped me back into the Light." Azura confessed. "Quite selfish, I know."

"I wouldn't see it like that." Kaze said, sitting down next to the Songstress and looking rather down. "I don't mean to step out of line but the Nohrian Royals are still your family and Prince Xander made it abundantly clear that they would try to work things out for you eventually if or when you're taken back to Nohr."

"I hold nothing against any of you, Kaze. I told you all to leave me behind otherwise you would've all died." Azura assured him as the team did not escape with leaving only their wits behind reluctantly. "I can already see those four about to snap any moment with apologies. Surprise they haven't already."

"It's impossible for them not to feel like they've betrayed you. That's twice now King Garon overwhelms us and twice we were forced to leave you behind." Kaze said bitterly.

"And twice I've come back, Kaze! Come on!" Azura sad a little louder this time. The anxiety is only now getting to her, along with the stress of previously fighting her stepsiblings, soon she'll do more than raise her tone at a faithful and sentimental Royal Guard.

"If you're going to be all emotional, you might want to take it out with your not exactly adoptive siblings." Robin insisted.

"Yeah, yeah! You're right. I can practically already hear their thoughts bursting with needless apologies." Azura mumbled as she goes to Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura and get the emotional rainstorm over with.

"It never gets old." Robin barely whispered as he watches Azura begin to consult the four about the previous disaster.

"What never gets old?" Lilith asked and Robin spontaneously chuckles for a bit.

"It's just that… when war breaks out, everyone believes it's only the common folk who suffer. Nobles bicker amongst themselves and it's the… ''lowborns'' who shed first blood. The upper echelon only bark orders from their shiny houses and decide who lives and who dies. Hardly anyone ever stops to consider that perhaps even those who have an easy lifestyle have deeper ties to protect and if they too suffer the same way they do when they lose." Robin mused. "I don't know, I just find it inspiring how alike both sides of society really are."

"You speaking from experience?" Kaze finally asked the big question. Robin didn't confess everything and about any military careers he only went as far as to say that he's a Veteran when it comes to tactics.

"This isn't the second war I partook in as a master tactician, much less my third." Robin replied and that really surprised his new friends, well… minus one.

"You lead the charge on more than three wars?" Jakob asked incredulously and Robin is surprised that he didn't raise his tone high enough for everyone to hear him. "Wait, does that mean that Lady Corrin was not the first lord or lady you served under."

"No she isn't, and if I'm really lucky she will be my last master, because the last war scarred me for life in more ways than the strongest willpower can bear, I told myself I would never take up arms again, hence why I became reluctant to join Nohr's army." Robin said as he stares longingly at the sky. "Used to have dozens of scars all over my body actually, but I got all fixed up in more ways than one when Corrin found me."

"I don't even want to know about that." Lilith muttered.

"Trust me, none of you want to know about my scars, you lots get enough of it taking as many blows from our assigned lords as we need to." Robin assured. "I never complained, though, same as all of you, so take it from me, no matter how many times you fail them, which is a never when it comes to you three specifically, as long as they live and breathe easily and are happy, you're no failures. We all played huge roles in keeping Corrin alive, the fact that we lasted this long in her service speaks volumes of our merit, and it's a no brainer how much she wants us in her life. For what it's worth, I hope that is of some comfort. Corrin would've never made it this far with just me."

"Obviously." Jakob retorted smugly before quickly getting softer. "Though I must admit, you're… NOT the worst thing that's ever come waltzing into our lives."

"Wow… Jakob, that's… the closest thing to anything nice you've ever said to me." Robin joked. "I'm never going to hear something like that again, am I?"

"Not a chance."

"You certainly have a way with words, don't ya, partner." Kaze said as he does feel a little better after that speech.

"I'm hardly a silver tongue but I am good at speaking the truth when I need to." Robin shrugged. "Sorry if I ever made any of you feel like you're stuck in my shadow or something similar. The last Prince and Princess I worked for didn't know the meaning of the word wary, the former didn't even know how to pronounce it right so me and my previous comrades had to be extra wary or else."

"Well, it's like you said, Lady Corrin comes first, I bear no ill will, except towards myself but as long as she and her family are happy, my issues mean nothing." Kaze smiled some more, feeling a whole lot better now.

"Speaking of masters that we need to do everything in our power to keep happy and safe, we have another obligation to Lady Azura," Lilith said pointing at Azura being squished to death by an apologetic Hinoka and the other siblings may or may not be taking turns and her face being as blue as her hair and the retainers frantically pulling them off her..

"Milady, let her go! She can't breathe!" Kagero desperately pleaded.

"We all did agree to be Lady Azura's pseudo-retainers since she refuses to have any." Kaze reminded.

"All fourteen of us, yes." Jakob made a light chuckle as they get to work in convincing the emotional High Princess to express her sorry more gently.

---

"You know, considering all our misadventures, I'm surprise it took us this long to end up in a big house." Laslow muttered while placing his hands on some bars as he, Selena and Odin are each behind three jail cells adjacent to each other.

"A dungeon below a castle built in the bottom of a crater of all places is not my idea of a supermax prison." Selena said nonechalantly, lying on a bed and staring at the ceiling.

"No but it's pretty close. In ancient times, when people committed crimes against the Dusk Faithful, which is always consider to be a crime more serious than murdering children, criminals would be brought before the Dusk Dragon himself, forced deeper underground with him as the warden where he would subjugate them to magical and horrendous nightmares every night where they would be forced to experience every ounce of pain and misery they ever inflicted on others." Odin summarize while he lies on the ground in a meditating-like position but only more dramatic. "This would go on for a whole year and then the criminals would be put on parole, traumatized but reformed. Well, arguably… and tested to be reinstated as citizens of Nohr. With a tight leash of course."

"I can feel the darkish love already in my ''aching blood''." Selena hissed sarcastically.

"C'mon… d-don't do that, Selena." Odin said becoming increasingly dishearten by this mockery she just pulled. "You just can't do that. You can't just go and ruin something so precious."

"Uh-oh, now look what you've gone and done now." Laslow muttered as the grieving Odin will become an earful because of this. "Now you've gone and sunken lowly."

Selena pays the two no mind and does her best to ignore her friends, a term she is still painfully embarrass to be the case by staring intensively at the ceiling in the hopes that this can make her deaf to any complaints. She ends up returning to reality when she and the two hear the sound of footsteps and none produce by them and heading their way. Someone has enter the dungeon and judging by the sound of it, it's only one person.

"About time someone showed up to begin the interrogation though I'm surprised it's just one of them." Laslow said.

"If it's Zero they send to screw with us, I'll break out of these Magic sealing bars with my bear hands and pull his dick off." Selena swore as she gets back up on her feet and steps forward, same as Odin and who they see is in actuality not an interrogator, or more accurately not the one they were expecting but could potentially be so much worse depending on how this turns out is Xander.

"Lord Xander…" Laslow uttered, surprise for a lot of reasons, most of them not good, though it was only a matter of time before this discussion finally came up so better late than never, he supposed.

"Laslow. Odin. Selena. It's good to see you are all doing well." Xander spoke up as stoic as he is well known to be, which is how he acts casually. People question if he ever lies down and chill.

"This is… very awkward, standing before you while bars are keeping us apart." Laslow uttered.

"Really, because this feels mighty right to me, I mean, when you're not on duty, I contemplate relocating you and your belongings to a cell so you don't go bothering any of the maids or peasant maidens around Windmire." Xander noted nonchalantly. "I worry more for the women of our country than I do our own soldiers every second that I don't see you, especially in the battlefield. I don't need to remind you how many complaints I get from our Sorceress about not being able to focus because of a certain Ranger."

"P-please… don't bring that up now, my situation is bad enough as is." Laslow instinctively lowers his head down in shame. "I can handle this lecture from my father but with you it's really unbearable."

"We ah… apologize for not being able to answer the call of duty, milord. But alas, the wicked chains of the Demon God of Misfortune once again saw fit to torment us further to fuel her unholy lust for our failure." Odin tried to sound a bit headstrong over the current situation, they knew something like this would happen to them the moment Robin fled to Hoshido, just as they knew what would await them when they returned to Krakenburg after saving their Queen and their Nohrian allies demanding answers to everything that happened and what they heard. It sucks, they should've stayed with Robin and remain under his protection, or at the very least remained in Notre Sagesse since the Hoshidans would be none too pleased to see them, the trio did play a huge role in thwarting most of Robin's strategies, familiar with his way of thinking but there the problem lies.

"Zola's mischief in kidnapping you three, yes. Elise told me everything and the subordinates he bribed into helping him affirmed this claim once they were reminded where their true loyalties lie. He will be punish accordingly for raising arms against the Royal Guard." Xander assured them. "Elise also told me of everything else that happened, of Corrin, Azura and Robin's appearance in Demon's Falls as well, which is strange since they were also in Niflheim when we invaded and it's largely because of him that the invasion nearly ended in a failure but your partners and my mother claimed the same thing and it's long been established that someone like him can do practically anything so what do I know."

"Not anything, he used a Multiplex." Selena corrected.

"That doesn't make me any less terrified of him." Xander sighed as he turns away and takes a few steps back from the trio. "Him aside for once. My mother also told me of what'd happened to her and what you all went through to save her. That's twice now you two saved someone in my family from imminent danger."

"Like I told you before, all in a day's work for men, and woman of passion, and you didn't give us our jobs just because of our charm." Laslow said lightheartedly.

"I'm grateful, as always for your contributions." Xander said softly but when he turns around with his face the same when he came here, told all they needed to know that the time for pleasantries is over. "But from the way it all went down and how I was told, you had a role to play in this catastrophe happening to my stepmother and sister in the first place."

That cause the whole dungeon to turn cold really fast as the breaking point is on its way.

"Milord…"

"Those who work as close as you three have to my family are more friends than subordinates." Xander caught his retainer off. "The only reason we hadn't presented you your own White Veils of Trust is because we knew how each of you would let the uniforms go to your heads so we relied on the definition of the veils in spirit instead. And with such honor and prestige comes with a prize of unshakable honesty, not just the obedience to be at our beck and call and so forth. And I know you all mean well, I really do, which is why I insisted that I come here alone and Camilla and Leo stay out of this, and this is your only chance. Tell me everything you know about Robin."

Right after he asked that hard question, Selena felt a strange aching sensation on her chest. It isn't painful, nor comforting just something that showed up there and doesn't feel like she'll get rid of it easily but somehow she knows what this feeling is.

"Oh… that clever bastard." Selena whispered, while suppressing her outrage and amazement.

---

Mikoto moans with some semblance of frustration as she lies down in the dining room table where the family is expected to have dinner soon but the food is not yet ready and is currently alone, probably for the first time in days with everyone overworked with the refuges they'll be looking after of which doesn't bother her since the only place she largely only has to keep to herself is her room and it's about the most boring place for her to be in. Sakura's is so much better in her opinion. Taking the time to herself to properly relax, she drinks some water, that always calms her nerves, a bit too unnaturally if people are being honest. Water has always been a source of comfort for her, unless the situation before her is too emotional like when Corrin returned and she refused to accept her as her mother, that was no good but with everything, water worked like a magical cure to set her at ease, something coincidentally works for Azura as well, she is a very aquatic girl, magical pendent notwithstanding. She wonders if it's the same for Corrin, she can transform into a water dragon, even after accepting her place was here, Corrin is always stressed about something and if she ever drank water to calm herself she never saw her.

"Mom." Speak of the devil, Mikoto turns to see Corrin walk towards her.

"Hello dear, how you doing?" Mikoto asked as motherly as possible. "Wait, that's a really dumb question, you're under a lot of pressure, comes with the territory of being a general so young, even if you are low rank."

"A Lieutenant General is not a low rank, it's an intermediate rank, higher than Major and Brigadier Generals." Corrin countered as she takes a sit next to her.

"Is that the rank we gave you? Oh dear, I must've forgot, it was at the same time we held Robin's Lordling ceremony and I had a lot on my mind since you were all going through so much and you thought it best to remain with Robin while he was trying to work out the kinks of spontaneously being a noble all the sudden." Mikoto said rubbing her head as she tried to clarify. "Even though he did looked like he could handle himself just fine."

"He has a lot of experience with lordlings and how to be one." Corrin bemused with the irritation about Robin's lies resurfacing before being suppressed yet again.

"Hmm?" Mikoto uttered confused.

"I'll tell you later." Corrin shrugged and now looks like she's having a headache.

"Want a glass of water?" Mikoto offered her.

"Thanks." She said in gratitude and she takes the water to drink it and upon doing so, she feels a little better.

"Hits the spot, doesn't it? Really sets your mind at ease from all the world's problems." Mikoto smiled.

"It does actually. Somehow, water has always been my best source of comfort." Corrin said as she too has had the same odd connection to water, to Mikoto's joy. "That is of course until Robin came into my life."

Mikoto chuckles at that reply. "Yes, there truly is no greater cure than love. Everything has it's downsides but the ups are always worth it in the end."

"Right…" Corrin nodded awkwardly. Normally with what she's going through, the last thing any sane normal woman her age wants to do is get her mother involve and ask for advice but she is desperate to sort this all out and find some closure. She's not ready to lose Robin! Yes, he said that he has no intention of going back to his world, not even to be with his daughter, and possibly wife. Whatever awful thing happened to make him think like that, she's not sure she wants to know, but dammit! SHE NEEDS TO KNOW! So maybe, just maybe, her mother can help with that. But that's not what she came here for.

"My love life can be put on hold for now, I'm more interested in talking about you." Corrin insisted, which surprises Mikoto. It makes her happy for Corrin to be interested in her but now of all times? By how Ryoma described it, she's the one who needs to be talked about since she went up against the full onslaught of her Nohrian Family and a transformed Garon.

"Really? That's a bit intriguing." She noted.

"I know, I know we have yet to have a girls night out of our own ever since I got here and I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. I've been the center of attention ever since I got here so you would be doing me a favor by making it all about you. The less attention towards me, the happier I'll be." Corrin said a bit too spontaneous.

"My, aren't you so considerate all the sudden but I'm sorry to say that your mama isn't all that interesting. Every girl talk I've ever had revolved around your sisters and ''girlfriends." Mikoto said amusingly. "Just so I'm clear, when I say girlfriends, I don't mean plural, but friends who are also girls, I think I heard Orochi say that once or twice."

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Corrin smiled.

"Of course, I don't really have any friends. Sure, Reina, Orochi and Kagero are always nice to have around but they mostly work for our family. Not that we can't become friends with our retainers and other servants, I think that is a positive thing to do to better solidify our bond and commitment to our people by socializing with them." Mikoto continue to prater on.

"I agree and I've been doing that very frequently to get more trust from the soldiers." Corrin added.

"Well, technically, Yuki counts as an actual friend given how close he was to me and Sumeragi but he's gone now, Sephiroth bless him in Eden."

"You're rather hard on yourself all the sudden. I'm almost more used to you being more upbeat and… not so much self-criticism." Corrin said a little caught off by her odd behavior, though not too surprise given how stressed she looks.

"I know, I'm sorry. So very sorry. I'm just not one for gossip, especially when it comes to me." Mikoto sighed.

"I know that feeling well, but really, I just want to check up on you, because the way I hear it, you haven't been acting like your best in a long while, and not because of negligence. Did something happened while we were gone?" Corrin asked and already she notices subtle signs of her mother feeling down about something but is very careful not to show it.

"A lot of things have been happening. So I can't exactly narrow it down." She said, now doing rather poorly to hide her sudden distress.

"Mother, please. You're always pushing yourself to help others, and as your daughter, I have a familial obligation to help out in return. You've gone on hiding your pain from the others for way too long and ever since I came back it's begun to affect the others." Corrin finally said and now feels really awkward about basically lecturing Mikoto. She's never really done this before. Sure, she's scolded Jakob for his overbearing nature and Robin's self-destruction but this is her mother. Infinitely more stressful.

"Funny… I always expected this sort of lecture from Ryoma. Who else has the right to question my authority than the future patriarch of the family." Mikoto replied softly, neither upset nor sad, instead only harbors acceptance over this inevitability. Things have spiral out of control ever since everyone found out about her prophesied death that was avoided by the anomaly that is Robin. "However, I can't give you a clear answer because I have no idea what's happening to me."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked confused and Mikoto turns to her right hand, covered by a white glove that she proceeds to remove, exposing the emblem on the back of it that as she was told by Jakob and Felicia, is the same emblem that was painfully carved into Lord Izana's chest, that is also the emblem of the mysterious world below the Bottomless Canyon that the Seven Deadly Sins inhabit. It took a lot of willpower not to make a reaction to seeing the emblem again. As far as she knows that Emblem symbolizes the purest of evil and seeing it on her mother is quite the conundrum, though this is the first time she's actually seen it on her because she covers it up with gloves ever since she got it, almost as if she knows about it or at least enough to be wary of people seeing it. She really doesn't know what to make of that and since she didn't want the others to know about it either she didn't raise any flags, even when Sakura noted how their mother never wears gloves unless she has to, Corrin didn't pay it no mind and insisted that they should all focus on the warfare.

"You didn't have that on you before." Corrin feigned ignorance.

"Yeah but during Nohr's onslaught, and my battle with Queen Arete, this emblem manifested all the sudden while she was electrocuting me, though it felt more like I was being smuggled by something dark and heavy but that's a daily routine for a dark mage when they torture someone." Mikoto said with grim bemusement. "What really spook me about it is that Arete also had this thing manifest in her opposite hand. At first I thought that she put it on me but…"

"But…?" Corrin repeated, hoping that she finish her sentence.

"This emblem… I can't explain it but I swear I know this mark. Like it's always been a part of me." She said with so much nostalgia and longing. "Like I've known this my whole life."

"Really?" Corrin said truly intrigued by this but also trying even harder not to lose her cool, not because she's angry at Mikoto but because that could lead to the one thing she's been dreading to be true.

"Yeah. I know I should've brought this up sooner. I know about the scar on Lord Izana's chest, he showed it to me when we were working on that purify spell when I showed him mine, hoping to make sense of it but he came out short. We could confirm that this emblem has great magical power but none that we can identify or manipulate." Mikoto explained. "He hypothesize this may have something to do with the Ocean Dragon since you're Dragon Form gives you power over water, however your appearance doesn't match the description of the God of Water, who's dragonic form resembles a great white shark, not a deer, so that's dropped off the list again."

"A little surprising that Izana found nothing. He was attacked by this strange assailant around the same time word got out that the Grimm were unleashed, and that was thirteen years ago." Corrin muttered.

"Given the way he described it, he must've been terrified to look. The Archdukes of Izumo are powerful men and women, maybe none of them hold a candle to Robin but if someone or something poses a challenge to them in any way, especially in terms of raw magic power, the Izumites are more incline to not go looking for trouble." Mikoto pointed out.

"Like Envy." Corrin mumbled. "So, aside from the obvious nostalgia coming out of your smile, does it give you any sort of flashback, or anything else?"

"If only, no. Just a name, the moment I laid eyes on it a name popped into my head, one that gives me the greatest sense of comfort that I have not felt in a long time. I don't think it's the name of a person but more of a place. the place I was born." Mikoto explained. "Though, that name I've actually known for a long time but I just don't know where that is but at least now I know something that has to do with its culture."

"That might've been nice to know much earlier." Corrin pointed out.

"I know, I'm sorry but for some reason saying Valla out loud is always-" Mikoto, in a moment of spontaneous horror, silences herself from saying anymore and forces both her hands on her mouth to further solidify her silence, which really caught Corrin off guard and made her yearn for more answers.

"Va-" Corrin is also left silenced but not by her own accord. Something that felt like a strong gust of wind blows over behind her and before she knew it, a hand waltz and covers itself on her mouth, quickly shutting her up before she could finish saying that name. And the one who did this is Robin, looking just as scared as Mikoto, dropping a few sweats from the rush he felt in stopping her. He must've passed by when he heard Mikoto say Valla and rushed here with all his speed knowing Corrin would make the same mistake he did.

"ARGH! Gods bless you, Robin." Mikoto breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"You're Majesty, are you alright?" Robin asked her in desperation for her safety.

"Yes… yes…" Mikoto confirmed but that weak response was not enough for Robin.

"ARE you okay?!" He repeated with a much harsher tone from his desperation.

"YES! Yes! The curse doesn't work on me." She assured him more seriously.

"What? How?" Robin uttered, surprised by this, let alone how could she know about the word Valla and the strange curse it holds. Corrin is able to release her mouth from Robin's hold due to his surprise as she couldn't while he was demanding confirmation from Mikoto.

"Hey, you want to fill me in on whatever this is or should I bitch-slap you in all the wrong places to make sure you do fill me in." Corrin demanded.

"You're gross. And the V word that your mother just mentioned out loud is dangerous." Robin explained to her.

"In what sense is saying a word out loud ever dangerous?" She asked.

"It's very ludicrous, I know, yet every bit as deadly as I make it out to be. You recall what happened during the fight in Demon's Falls, when Elise struck me with her staff and my body changed to look like one of the Seven's goons." Robin reminded her, which send chills down Corrin's spine.

"What does… what does that have to do with them?"

"When I confronted Iago in Macarath, he told me the name of the place the Seven are living, that other world hiding below the canyon and when I repeated that name out loud for confirmation I was hit with a curse, a strong one that tried to convert me into one of those things." Robin explained. "I could feel my life being siphoned by something, the curse is definitely necromantic but not like any I've dealt with before."

"You've spoken the word and survived?!" Mikoto almost shouted due to how incredulously this sounds for her and this is really hard for her to believe.

"Yes but it's still in effect." Robin mumbled. "Thanks to Azura and Selena, it's been gradually suppressed beyond its capacity to be harmful but I can't get it to go away on my own." Robin continued.

"You're still at risk of being one of their playthings! Qliphoth's BANE!" Corrin shouted furious as she sucker punches Robin, causing him to hit his face on the table and making Mikoto gasps at the sudden brutality. "When the fuck where you going to tell me that?"

"Well-" He groaned, getting up to try and talk but she goes and shuts him up again.

"NO! Waiting until the all clear to tell me your past is not acceptable! This curse is a NOW! NOW! NOW situation!" Corrin screamed at his face.

"My gods… you are an abusive lover." Mikoto uttered equally surprised that she's also not speechless. She's heard from the others that her Corrin has severe anger issues which she could attribute to her time in Nohr but from what she's learned from Robin, Felicia and Jakob, the only bad thing the Nohrians have ever done to Corrin prior to the war is keeping her locked in a fortress for thirteen years. That would definitely and understandably cause anyone to have a lot of pent up aggression but she's been fighting Nohrians none stop for weeks, how does she still have so much aggression left? And no, she's not sure that the Sin of Wrath has anything to do with this, this is a more simplistic and petty kind of anger.

Ah… she might know what the problem truly is.

"This was before I had my own meltdown and learning about what Zola had done." Robin said while still holding his left cheek, it really hurt this time. "But seriously, the curse is under control now and if it gets bad again, I'll just use the Bifröst to make me all better."

"The what now?" Mikoto repeated, again not believing what she is hearing. "As in THE Bifröst. The Sacred Treasure of Life Bifröst?"

"Why not just use it now and get the problem over with?" Corrin demanded.

"I can't, cause if I do, I lose all the Dark Aether inside me and if I do that, I won't be of any use to you against Garon and the Seven again." Robin countered. "I looked up every single detail of lore on the staff, like every other Sacred Treasure, it's a weapon of untold destruction before a tool to help people and when the Sage built it originally, it was to overpower and kill all practitioners of Dark Magic, humans and dragons alike, and maybe, hopefully, even demonic entities. And this curse is necrotic, the ultimate dark and we never used it ourselves before so we could end up getting rid of all of it inside me."

"THAT'S THE BEST EXCUSE YOU CAN COME UP WITH!" Corrin screamed again and this time going for a strangle but Robin has had enough and forms a magic barrier around him that keeps him perfectly safe from her ''lover's'' vile grasps, as many are convince they are until she calms down.

"Hey, ah… I don't want to interrupt whatever this is but we were kind of discussing something else that's important." Mikoto insisted.

"Thank you, you're Majesty, for reminding her of what's important." Robin said nonchalantly, earning another glare from the Princess before she begrudgingly brushes it off. "Now please tell us, how could you know about this curse and your immunity to it?"

"Like I told Corrin, I've known the name of my home since the beginning, when I was just a stray in Hoshido and Corrin was still a baby and whenever I talked about home with anyone, whenever…" Mikoto stopped talking and looks away from the two for a moment, clearly a painful thing to bring up and the two can already guess what it is.

"You… killed people…?" Corrin muttered, not sure what to make of this.

"No… no, that wasn't my doing. Corrin, I've never taken a human life before, at least not intentionally, let alone ordered someone's execution. Your big brother is the one who takes it upon himself to make such tough calls." Mikoto desperately assures her. "And back then, I had no idea how I ended up in Hoshido, nor what Horus was. I didn't know where we belonged. And when I tried to ask around for directions, if everyone knew about V- you know where, the people who repeated the name they… they're whole bodies were set ablaze by these unnatural cold flames and would become hardly visible before vanishing altogether."

"How many spoke the name?" Robin asked.

"Only six people I've asked about home. I was so desperate for answers that I didn't get a clue until I realized the harm I was causing." Mikoto muttered, the guilt by her past misdeeds showing.

"And did those people suffer?" Corrin asked.

"I don't think so, they made absolutely no reaction to what was happening to them so no." She replied.

"What about you, Robin?" Corrin returned to him.

"It was no walk in the park for me." Robin scoffed, being reminded on how gruesome that disaster was but more so because it was Iago who caused it by falling for his trap. "Maybe those who have no chance of resisting the curse experience it painlessly but Iago mentioned the name so that must mean he's also immune."

"Because he's buddy buddies with Wrath?" Corrin stated.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. But that doesn't dismiss the bigger issue, that you and Mikoto originate from this otherworld the Seven are inhabiting." Robin brought up the real issue of this revelation.

"Well, ain't that a kick in the can." Corrin hissed with displeasure.

"There's no mention in any lore about the Seven Deadly Sins having a domain of their own. They go wherever they wish to corrupt into their momentary base of operations." Mikoto explained.

"Well, I certainly hope so, otherwise you two are actually unholy hybrids, or descendants of the like." Robin sighed. "Though that would explain cranky here's violent tendencies."

"Go fuck yourself, Robin!" Corrin snapped.

"You've done enough of that already, young lady." Mikoto half-lectured, walking to her and places her hands on her shoulders to give her a comforting massage. She then moves closer to her ear to whisper something. "But if there is a next time, make sure to have a baby ready for me."

"MOTHER!" Corrin screamed at her next, causing her to back away with her hands raise for mercy.

"There's another thing I would like to discuss. While I was fighting against this curse in that volcano, I had a vision that felt more like I was transported to someplace else, likely where all the others who spoke the name go to, by the description we were given alone it's definitely that other world and in there I encountered a dragon." Robin said.

"A Dragon? The good kind or the bad kind?" Corrin asked nervously.

"Appearances can be deceiving. I have no idea where that guy stands in the morality spectrum but he was begging me to help him, the way he described it, he seem to be a prisoner of the Seven."

"Seriously?" Corrin uttered more in shock.

"Yeah, and as I was being cursed, he also wanted me to serve him, said that my power can free him." Robin continued.

"Duh, what can't you do, besides not being a pathological liar." Corrin asked rhetorically and insultingly but Robin ignores her.

"There's more, this dragon also knows about Morgan." Robin said now feeling dread. "And if what he says is true, the Seven wish to do her harm."

That made Corrin's blood run truly cold. From the moment she learned the truth about the child, she could feel the Sin of Envy all over her despite Hydra's protection but it's not that she resents Morgan, far from it, she resents what she represents and the great wall that was always between her and Robin, and him not wanting to go back to her isn't making the Dragon Princess any better. Just the thought of Wrath and his siblings inflicting harm on the girl who saved her from her inner demon…

"Why? What do they have to gain by traveling whole Outrealms just for one person?" She asked, suppressing this new found anxiety.

"That, I truly don't know. Morgan's always been the problematic deviant, always looking for trouble wherever and whenever she wants, and an extreme thrill-seeker but to have caught the attention of demons? I can't imagine half the nonsense she gets herself into." Robin muttered.

"What do you mean you don't know? How could you not know about Morgan's problems?" Corrin scolded.

"Do you tell your parents everything?" Robin asked rhetorically but she took it way too seriously.

"That's it!" Corrin has had enough of this insanity and harshly grabs Robin and lifts him up her shoulder.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Robin demanded. "This discussion is too important."

"We're settling this crisis once and for all and there's nothing you can do about it!" Corrin growled. "Mom, we'll finish our mother-daughter chat some other time. I have a very cruel puzzle to solve, which is largely my heart."

"You're being ridiculous!" Robin protested at her stupidity.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"That's okay, sweety, I totally understand." Mikoto smiled, even winking and giving her daughter a thumbs up, either understanding Corrin's intentions or having it completely the wrong way. "Don't forget about our family-friend dinner soon."

"We'll be there." Corrin assured her as she takes Robin away, rushing to Lilith.. "LILITH!"

"Yes ma'am!" Lilith replied with haste and nervousness at Corrin's loud tone, that also made nearly everyone in the vicinity drop a sweat.

"Open the Astral Plane, I am putting an end to these seeds of lies!" Corrin ordered.

"Pegasus dung on a Christmas Tree, Robin. I thought you left to check up on Corrin to make sure she didn't make Mikoto uncomfortable, not make her murder happy for you." Azura muttered.

"You know, everyone practically has a boner for murder when it comes to me, so this is a predictable outcome so I'm not really as bothered by this as I should be." Robin sighed.

"Is it because Jakob shows his every day?" Hana asked.

"DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Jakob screamed at the embarrassment.

"Most likely." Robin mused.

"Shut up, Assbutt!" Corrin ordered him as the two whiteheads are sent away.

"You know, if they do end up giving us nephews and nieces, we should sent them to live elsewhere." Hinoka suggested comically.

"Yeah, I hate to be around baby Corrins with Robin's demigod powers running amok, I'm already nervous of meeting this Morgan girl." Takumi uttered.

"But doesn't Robin already have a wife?" Sakura asked.

"He never mentioned that he has a baby mama when he spoke of his daughter, that could mean anything. And knowing Corrin and her Nohrian habits, that's not going to stop her one bit." Reina said.

"Wait, what's this about Robin having a kid?" Orochi asked confused.

"Oh, right. I forgot you were excluded for a while, and do we have a story for you."

---

"Now! Start talking!" Corrin demanded as she throws Robin on the floor of the Astral Plane.

"And I thought arguing with Chrom about not being Ylisse's Grandmaster gave me a major headache." Robin muttered, getting back up.

"Who the hell is Chrom?!" She asked.

"The previous Prince I served as his Tactician. Your… predecessor, if you will." Robin explained.

"You make it sound like he wasn't your first."

"That in of itself is an overcomplication."

"YOU'RE VERY EXISTENCE IS AN OVERCOMPLICATION!" She screamed so loud that her roar is echoing throughout all of this dimension.

"That's fair." Robin sighed while he turns his back on her while rubbing his forehead. "Okay… let's get this over with. You want to know my backstory, I'll tell you, though I would still prefer that we wait until this all blows over."

"I can't do that, Robin. When you come to mind, I can't think of anything else. I can't think about the Seven, I can't think about my families. Hell, I can't even bring myself to care about the fact that my mother came close to unintentionally killing me with the same curse that Iago used on you, let alone about our origins because you're the one thing that I can't stop thinking about!" Corrin again snapped at him, looking frantic and awkward, though not as awkward as Robin is and he still isn't looking at her. "And now I find out that you have a family all your own in some other world and here you are, cheating death repeatedly to help me keep at least one of the two I have and that you have no intention of going back to them, I don't know what's going on anymore but what I do know is that you have way more issues than I and you're clearly the most at fault for this mess you're in. I don't want to lose you Robin! But I also don't want you to throw everyone else that matters to you because of whatever's driving you to suicide."

"You're right. I am a mess. A bigger mess than you or your families could ever be. More than you realize." Robin shrugged. "And I'm not leaving my family because of my issues, but because I can't bring myself to go back there. I bear no ill will to Midgard but that chapter in my life is over and I want it to stay buried and forgotten, even if it means I am forgotten by everyone that ever mattered to me."

"How can you say that?" Corrin argued.

"It's not that you wouldn't understand, I'm sure you're the only one who can understand me but as I said, I want my past forgotten, and be someplace where my mistakes will never find me, and I'm not sure if Hoshido is the place for me." He confessed bitterly.

"What mistakes? The actions of the one who's done so much for me, for all of us are not of a man who was a tyrant in a past life." Corrin countered uncomfortably. "What about Morgan, is she a mistake also?"

"I see what you're trying to do, Corrin, and that is just low, bringing her into this." He muttered.

"I can do worse, I could drag her mother into this, if I knew her name and your other relatives if you had the decency to mention any of them." Corrin hissed.

"I'm not married, and I never was. Really need to get that out since that's clearly been bothering you nonstop." Robin whined, turning around to face her and getting a kick out of the baffled and dare he say relief look on Corrin's face.

"No… so… does that mean, a one night stand that led to a miracle?" Corrin muttered, now lost for words on what to say and at this point is speaking out of line, while now nervously playing with her fingers.

"I had one or four girls I was interested in but only one of them got anywhere but not to THAT point in the relationship, but that's besides the point. There's a reason Morgan looked closer to your age when you met her. She technically hasn't been born yet." Robin finally decides to cut to the chase.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Corrin asked, largely confused.

"If the power to travel across other worlds is as real as other worlds existing must mean that its counterpart, time traveling is also a thing." Robin replied.

"Time travel…" She uttered, now truly close to losing herself in the clouds. "But… but…"

"My DAUGHTER that you saw is an adult and not a child because she has actually traveled through time because she's a colossal mess, the good kind, obsess with power and adventures, practically worships me. She's ultimately a good person with heroic tendencies but she's also a troll and gets a kick about messing with people constantly. Also, I think I might have a son as well, though she's very vague about it due to also having actual amnesia." Robin is not holding back.

"TIME OUT! TIME OUT! TIME right the hell out!" Corrin pleaded desperately, needing more time to cool her brain from the amount of shocks she's experiencing in one go. This is more than she bargained for. This is too much and she's certain that she hasn't reached the tip of the iceberg yet.

"You think you're having it bad, last time I spoke to her when we battled Gluttony I found out that she's become the Empress of an entire continent in my absence. Like I didn't have enough to put up with her ego that was bigger than the Dragon God I fought prior to our meeting which was literally bigger than an actual mountain and now she has her own army to legalize her overcompensation. I'm still feeling awkward when I realize she had romantic desires for a certain masked pain in the ass. Sure, she wasn't aware of why she couldn't go through with it and neither did I but that was still an occupational hazard." Robin revealed more of his repressed inner turmoil.

"This is not at all the way I thought it would. Do you… have something against your little girl?" Corrin asked.

"When I met her alongside twelve other kids of the future demanding parental love after escaping from an apocalypse despite said parents, including myself were hardly mentally prepared for parenthood. Morgan isn't even from an apocalypse world. She puts a stop to apocalypse worlds. Being a father was the last thing on my mind in that time, we had issues but I do love her, she's the only reason I have left to consider staying alive. I just wish she was more under control. I think I was a terrible father but due to her worship, I wasn't but I still harbor doubts."

"So… any idea what the mother's role in her life is, or who she is?" Corrin finally asked the big question.

"I have no idea what influence you had on Morgan while she was growing up. But the fact that she got ''Assbutt'' from you speaks volumes of her issues." Robin replied casually, either intentionally or unintentionally not noticing the newest awestruck on Corrin's face.

"What…"

Robin sighed, completely unprepared for this but dammit all, he's getting this over with.

"I did not have a clue when we first met, and I did not want to find out, much less look for my… Naga kill me, ''baby mama''… but when you transformed for the first time, I had… a… another reason, a bigger reason to remain by your side." He said as he places both his hands on her, the two look at each other in the eye, Robin as neutral as ever while Corrin is shaking a lot, the previous implications causing a whirlpool of emotions on her heart that also causes her to shed tears from the anxiousness.

"I'll tell you what you want to hear, the past I thought I didn't want to talk about at all. I've kept quiet about it longer than I should've, I truly needed someone to talk to about it for a while now, so if you're willing, I'd like to tell you my story from beginning to end. I won't go over the details of everything but know that from here on out I will speak only the truth. Not all of it but enough for you to finally have an understanding."

---

"Mother, we're all five minutes early while Corrin prefers to arrive right on time, so can you please relax and not act like you're having a heart attack over her not arriving in time for dinner." Ryoma insisted as the Royal Family minus Corrin and all their closest allies, minus Robin have all gathered for dinner like Mikoto planned with said mother in question looking like she is about to have a heart attack.

"Well excuse me! How often do you go for weeks on end being away from your family while they are fighting in an intense war and after they finally come back, you would want to have a dinner time for absolute confirmation that you're all okay." Mikoto asked, seemingly okay but is actually anxious.

"No, but-"

"Then shut up, smile and look pretty." She snapped at him. "When was the last time you all had dinner without wearing your armors? When was the last time you've all seen Ryoma without his head armored?"

"This is literally the first time in over a year for me." Takumi affirmed as they were all instructed to dress nicely as if they were hosting a celebration, which this basically is since the final battle is at last upon them and they have to make these small moments count in case they don't all come back.

"I don't think I, nor Corrin have ever seen him without his head gear." Scarlet, who is sitting next to Ryoma added.

"See, you look like a stranger to everyone because of your habits, now loosen up by not telling me to loosen up." Mikoto demanded.

"Hey, head gears make me feel comfortable." Ryoma argued. "You guys understand the importance of your accessories, right?"

"The head gear is a part of your identity, Milord." Saizo praised, who's also not covering his face for a change.

"See, Saizo understands."

"Oh, that's adorable Ryoma, that you need your retainers to remind you that you're special." Mikoto teased while also rubbing his cheek, getting a laugh out of a few of them and annoying him enough to knock her hand off his face.

"Good morning everyone." Corrin greeted as she arrives early herself along with Robin, both wearing stylish kimonos Oboro made for them.

"It's evening, you twit." Takumi corrected, causing his sister to giggle in a similar fashion to Elise.

"Silly me, must've lost track of time, you know how confusing the Astral Plane can be." She continued to giggle.

"You are forgiven as soon as Robin explains what has he done to you." Takumi asked, immediately taken aback by her giggles.

"She wanted me to unpack, so that's what I did." Robin replied as they have been in the Astral Plane for nearly three human hours, which is several days within.

"WHOA!" They all cried out at once.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" Robin cried embarrassed, and this only made Corrin giggle even more. "You're not making this easy for me."

"That's the idea." She smirked as she goes to sit next to her mother with Robin awkwardly next to her.

"So… good morning, eh? I take it you just woke up and this will be the fanciest breakfast you've ever had?" Mikoto asked with her smile brightened.

"Yep, and this is the most comfortable I've ever felt." Corrin smiled back and this triggered the two to giggle at once.

"Wow… I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before, Milady." Kaze noted, really pleased to see her like this.

"What can I say, there's a lot less weight on my shoulders, wish I could say the same for our true champion, though." Corrin softly laugh while placing her hand on Robin's shoulder and the manor that she did so indicating that she is again mocking him but judging by his smile the Tactician has on him now, he doesn't take offense. "All of this smells delicious, I always wanted to have a huge breakfast."

"We're never going to get used to the Astral Plane, are we?" Takumi asked with humor over how confusing the whole ''it's only been hours since they've last seen'' Corrin and Robin and to them, it's been even longer.

"Nope, but then again what in our lives makes any sense besides each other?" Lilith noted.

"Truer words." Robin sighed.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch, it truly was a fine way to feel welcomed back in their home as well as feel a job well done, though concerning topics of conversations there is mostly discussions of plans for the future after the war, chatting about other matters not involving the war are few but nothing that would somber the beautiful atmosphere among friends and family.

"Any chance you think we could maybe stop by the blossom trees before we proceed with the war effort?" Sakura requested to her family, and they know why this is. Sakura loves visiting the trees she was named after, a very wonderful story on how why she received the name by her birth mother concerning an adventure between her and Mikoto, a tale that proves that Ikona and her held a real friendship before her unjust death.

"I see no harm in it, any particular reason?" Ryoma asked.

"Nothing special, I just wanted to take in the breeze. The wind always feels the best in Hoshido when one is amongst those trees." Sakura explained. "It be nice for us to enjoy it again before we resume our march into the Darkness."

"I think that would be a wonderful idea, and we have the means for fast travel so it would not be too problematic." Mikoto smiled.

"So should we bring everyone or just the six of us?" Hinoka asked.

"Plenty have to stay to make sure all preparations are set and ready for the final battle." Robin noted.

"By plenty, he means just himself." Corrin replied.

"Pretty much." He affirmed. "And with the barrier up and about, the place is totally safe for you guys to hang out for a bit. I'll handle the army."

"Gotten comfortable with your position, I see." Mikoto noted.

"Yes, he's certainly left a good impression with nearly all our soldiers so I have no issue leaving him in charge for a bit." Ryoma said.

"That is wonderful to hear, it's as though you were always a part of our lives." Mikoto smiled, which annoyed Ryoma.

"You certainly don't know when to quit, do you." He sighed.

"Never." She replied in a whisper that only he and Corrin could hear, causing the latter to giggle again.

"How about instead of warping to the cherry blossom trees I can instead fly us all there myself, I'm the fastest." Corrin offered.

"Oh, you finally got progress in your flying lessons?" Mikoto asked intrigued.

"No, Robin and Reina are still giving me F minuses, but I still have this baby." Corrin said, showing off her Icarus Ring and briefly manifesting the cloud above them. "Beats using wings."

"That's a very bias opinion." Lilith noted.

"You float around using your abnormal Dragonstone." Corrin retorted.

"So?"

"Where are your wings, Lilith? You're a dragon in name only."

"At least I can fly on my own and don't need to be carried around everywhere." Lilith argued in her defense.

"Ooh, she has you there, Cor. Name one time that you didn't need your man to carry you around in the battlefield like a damsel in distress." Takumi teased her, which got a laugh out of most of them.

"Well, Taku, it took forever but you finally did it. You just declared war on me." Corrin said, feigning annoyance, she still doesn't like it when someone who isn't Robin calls her Cor, that's a pet name between them.

"You got to give him credit, he's matured ten times more than you have thus far." Azura mused, and that brought silence to Corrin, who plays with her fingers near her face with a stoic thinking face, taking her time to make a comeback to her brother's joke. "When's the wedding, Takumi?"

"Huh?!" Oboro nearly reacted to that question but carefully kept herself in check.

'Crap!' Takumi cried in his head.

"He so has this coming." Scarlet whispered to Ryoma and he nods, both of them knowing where this is going.

"Pardon?" Mikoto was quick to ask, in a manor more fitting if she learned someone just died.

"Obviously it's after the war but considering all the free time, surely you'd given it some thought here and there whenever you were urged not to train so hard or Archers were not needed in Robin's complex super strategies." Corrin continued to press with her comeback.

"Though, this may have gone a little overboard." Azura said.

"You really need to stop, please." Takumi pleaded with his sister for mercy.

"Ta… ku… mi…" His mother whispered as she suddenly vanished from her table and reappeared right next to him while on her knees, now right between him and Hinata. The two men yelp like little girls at the queen/mother showing up like that, even more frightening is the teasing grin on her face.

"I wondered where one of my rings were. So it was you, going behind my back, naughty boy." Mikoto teased her son, making him sweat a lot, anime-style.

"What rings?" Corrin asked, and Mikoto immediately responded by placing a small white case with two eastern dragon designs decorated at the top, she opens it to reveal to them rings within them that bear the insignia of the Hoshidan Royal Family, by the size of the case it should carry five rings tops but one of them is missing. "Since weddings are a big deal with nobles and royals, it's important to have wedding rings prep and ready for the time to arrive, so I took the liberty to make my own rings for my five angels but as you can see, right before you all left for the March, one of them went missing. I wondered who could've taken it, eh, my son?"

"It wasn't me!" Takumi argued blushing madly. "I didn't even know you made them!"

"Yes, you did, I told you about them last year." Sakura countered.

"It's the first I've heard of them as well as seen them." Ryoma added.

"I'd say I'm surprised but I be lying, you two don't exactly stick like a sore thumb but the romance is as obvious as Corrin's Robssession." Hinoka mused, noting how increasingly nervous Oboro is getting at this moment.

"Ooh, Robssession. Good one, Sis, I'll have to remember that." Corrin chuckled.

"Please don't ever mention that again, I don't want my feelings hurt like last time." Robin pleaded somberly as Hinoka is not the first person to say that joke and it went terribly for him.

"Aww… someone beat us to it. Did he or she hurt your feelings and broke your credibility as a decent man." Corrin asked with a compassionate but still sadistic tone.

"Everyone hurts me, it's called living." Robin seemingly sobbed.

"That is the most goth thing I've ever heard, and we all know Kaze's twin." Azama mocked.

"That was a very goth-minded think to say." Saizo complied.

"Well, I don't mind it too much. There's a saying I like, no pain, no game, no game, no life. So you two might as well stop beating around the bushes, or rather hide behind the bushes and tell us what we already know." Robin suggested to the two pairs in question. And when he said that Mikoto moved away from her youngest son and is now right next to Oboro.

"So, where is it, my sweet, yet demonically violent new daughter?" She asked, still holding her teasing grin.

"You are Tharja levels of creepy, mother." Corrin said now feeling disturbed by Mikoto's bizzare obsession with her children's love life.

"I'd offered you one of them, but you already have one, deary." Mikoto smiled.

"Who's Tharja? That sounds like a dark mage with serious issues." Azama wondered.

"Understatement of the millennia." Robin sighed.

"The ring… is… I left it in the Astral Plane." Oboro finally confessed and that got a happy uproar from the table.

"That's my boy!" Hinata was the first to cheer, getting up from his table and forcing Takumi into a tight, yet brotherly hug while lifting him off his feet. From then on, everyone went and gave their own congratulatory to the two engaged couple, including Saizo, and even Azama went easy on them.

"Well, a small congratulation should be given for you as well, Cor. I hope the whole trying to briefly humiliate your brother was worth the near mayhem you were about to create just because it bugs you that much for someone else to call you Cor." Robin said to the satisfied Princess while the two stand from a fair distance from everyone else for the moment.

"I treasure everything I love, Rob and the day you first gave me that pet name was special to me in more ways than you just being cute." Corrin smiled longingly.

"Really, I could never tell with how viciously offensive Camilla and Jakob reacted when they heard me call you that." Robin recalls events very differently.

"Everyone has a different point of view, and we both know the truth." Corrin said gently to Robin it was almost a little uncomfortable.

"I regret telling you everything." Robin bemused.

"No you don't." Corrin smirked at him with satisfaction and after at least five seconds of awkward staring, Robin relents with a sigh and wraps his hand around her.

"No I don't." He smiled back at her. "So do you want to tell them what they already know or should I?"

"Nah, this is Takumi's night, he's had it rough for too long." Corrin decided. "Tell me again, how grand Morgan truly is?"

"There is no one more grand and amazing than her. Of course, there's also you." Robin said reminiscing on some glory days and things to come.

"Can't wait to meet her, both versions of her." She said with joy.

After dinner, everyone pretty much went their separate ways to rest and sleep, except for the white duo who cannot sleep due to their time in the Astral Plane and spent the majority of the night all by themselves. After walking around the surprisingly empty halls of the Castle until midnight, Corrin decides that she wants a better view just for them both and so Robin flies them to the top of the Castle, the moonlight giving them a good enough view of the Capital.

"Wow, I've never known the full moon would be this bright." Corrin mused, not used to laying eyes on the moon in it's full glory, more accustom to seeing it in its crescent shape, the source of the night invisible even in Nohr.

"It really isn't, however if you've been paying attention, you'd realized that the night isn't as dark in Hoshido as it is anywhere else. Since time immemorial, the light of the Dawn Dragon is present, no matter how dark things get, one may still find their way home when the moon is fully visible." Robin explained a strange phenomenon that occurs in Hoshidan soil.

"Really, the Ninjas must not like the moon then." Corrin said.

"It doesn't make their job easier when they're on missions in their own home." He replied.

"Their loss. I bet that no matter where you are the moon will always be this beautiful." Corrin said awed. "And if we could just do something to stop the abnormal dark cloud from shrouding Nohr, everyone can bathe in the light together."

"Easier said than done, as you've known your whole life, Nohr's land was made solely for the darker environments, and if not for the loss of the Trees of Qliphoth, this would've never been a problem." Robin reminded her.

"Yeah, if we could just go to the world below the canyon and find those trees, we might be able to get some seeds and plant them up above." Corrin said with desperation.

"That was your plan from the beginning, that is if you think we're ready to fight all Seven Sins in their turf." Robin warned.

"We have to face them eventually, and Izana's spell that he was working on ever since we faced Gluttony has yet to be put to the test, so with luck, that might be the trump card we need to overpower them, unless you have a better plan." Corrin said.

"I might. But I wouldn't get my hopes up this time. It'll be more risky than any other plan I've come up with yet." Robin said.

"We're pretty desperate, so better to die trying to save the world than waiting for it to die." Corrin declared.

"One fight at a time, Cor. We've lasted this long without fighting them yet, we can go for another few days before the final-final battle." He insisted to her.

"I know, my Nohrian Family has to be removed from the equation before we can talk about the future." Corrin sighed, her gaze never leaving Suzanoh.

"So, when are you going to ask them about what you learned about you being the White Behemoth?" Robin asked a very important question.

"There's nothing to ask them about, that the topic was never brought up until now either means that they never put two and two together or if they did whatever reason they had for not telling me before, they have no excuse to withhold this with how far and deep I've fell into this war and I know my siblings enough to know that whatever they're keeping from me has nothing to do with me and is completely none of my business, like Takumi's technical but not really affair with Oboro." Corrin replied with a tone of maturity that even Robin seldom sees her display. "How is it considered an affair, exactly."

"Nobles are crazy, but there are always loopholes and they can be ignored altogether if the love in question is strong enough to persevere." Robin smiled. "And it helps that the bride in question is a respected soldier that earned her high rank."

"Something you can relate to as well." Corrin smirked at him but Robin makes no response or reply to that.

"Before we proceed, is there something you want to do. And I don't mean regarding happy times to remember before the finale but a personal note." He asked her.

"I do actually, one last thing before the end." Corrin replied.

---

"What did you say?" Xander asked, a little caught off by the message he just received by one of his soldiers while he is with his family with the Retainers, minus Selena, Laslow and Odin beside them.

"Milords, Miladies, the Spell the Hoshidans casted on us to negate our Warp Tomes has finally been dispelled and by extension our own but not by our own doing." The soldier informed the Royal Family.

"What is Corrin and Robin up to now?" Leo asked, taking this as a serious issue than a wonderous change of scenery.

"They are up to something, and this is definitely their endgame." Arete said while rubbing her face.

"And knowing Robin, this crazy stunt will be full of surprises." Garon groaned, not having the energy for any more surprises.

"That's the tone I expect you to give to someone you respect enough to not want to kill. This was a long time coming." Arete muttered.

"I do not have the energy for any more surprises, much less any poor attempt to lightening the mood." Garon groaned again, with more emphasis on not wanting to deal with this.

"Well, deep down you've clearly always seen me as a disappointment." The familiar voice really caught them all off, with everyone in the room turning to the edge of said room where Corrin herself stood, to all their shocks. "This really shouldn't surprise everyone."

"Corrin!" Elise gasped upon seeing her in Krakenburg again.

"Oh, fuck this." Zero hissed as he and Peri angrily attack her with an arrow and throwing lance at once but the attacks don't even make her flinch as they literally phase through her and she walks pass the weapons that are stuck on the wall because she's not really here.

"For the record, the whole cancelling both spells out was my idea." Corrin said casually, paying no mind to the attempt on her life, she's used to it fairly well at this point.

---

Finally got this done. I initially wanted to wait it out and deliver two chapters instead for this story the next time I uploaded but due to an overcomplication, nothing too serious, I've been sidetracked longer than I would've preferred so I went and got this over with just to make myself feel better. Anyways, it won't be long now, I'll finally bring my take on Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright to a close, I hope you're all looking forward to it because I am, I didn't think it take me practically two years to finish to be honest. Can't say it wasn't enjoyable. Also, this chapter is also where A Reluctant Hero's Awakening officially begins, where Corrin alone discovers the whole truth and at the moment it's offscreen and if it wasn't already obvious, she's the mother of Morgan. Any who, till next time, and as always, please sent me reviews, cause who doesn't love them.