"Gods… damn..." I start muttering a string of profane words as I grip my side, then land on the tiled floor. "What… the… hell?"

"You wouldn't wake up, mate." Keaton speaks up, his voice sounds so clear. "Monk said she knew a trick."

I roll over and glare right at the woman, who cowers back, "I-I'm sorry, but you were sc-screaming and thrashing out. So I used the t-technique that Monks use to w-wake up trainees that fall asleep after being completely smashed… or drink Blackout Brew. I didn't want to, but… even a b-bucket of water didn't wake you up."

I glance over at the bed, which there is, in fact, a pool of water, I just now notice that I am wet. "I'm alright now, it was just a nightmare. I'm fine." 'It looked so real. What if it was real? Did Phoenix really contact me? And if so, why in such a violent manner? What were those eyes in the back?'

"Yasei, are you listening?" Raven asks, and I shift on the… bed? 'Did they put me up here?' I just notice I am shivering, "Ancestors, please respond."

"I'm a-awake now, I-I'll be f-fine." 'It was just a nightmare, not real, not real. Gods, I mean, the proof is right here, Keaton is alive… not impaled by a Beast Killer!' "I'm fine." I nod. "What is our next destination?"

Raven shrugs, still shaking slightly, but mostly composed, "I haven't asked… oh! R-Ryoma! It's okay to c-come in." The flap opens and the High Prince walks in, a look of grave concern on his face. "I-I'm sorry, I f-forgot to tell you to…"

"At ease, Monk." He smiles at her, "You have done so much for her, relax." 'She's done more for me than you have.' She nods and takes a breath. "Sister, we have received an invitation from Izana, ruler of the Izumo region in Hoshido, he wishes to hold a peace meeting between 'Xander' and myself, the other royals will attend as well… except King Garon." He scoffs at my big brother's name.

"Peace!? How is he going to stay big sister's axe? Or Takumi's arrows?" 'Or, gods… what if Phoenix shows up? She is still with Camilla and Elise, after all. Not real! Just a dream!'

"Peace, my little dragon." Phoenix's voice echoes through my head and I suddenly feel relaxed, "There you go…"

He frowns, "Have you not heard of Izana? His region is one of the two purely neutral places in the entire world, he is also a direct descendant of one of the First Dragons." He pauses, "He can also be a bit… lively? I have met him a few times, and he certainly does not act like someone in ruling."

'If he is so peaceful, then how come he didn't hold this peace meeting earlier?' "Alright, it's not like I can go anywhere else." He nods and leaves.

"You want to go, you wouldn't want to leave me there without my little dragon, would you?" Her voice coos.

We make our way out, the soldiers are scrambling and taking down the tents, Keaton dashes off for a kill before we leave. "I like the s-sound of Izana." Raven speaks up while I am waiting for Keaton, "Peace is a central f-focus for Monk training."

"You do prefer to avoid conflict, but you do also realize that you can't always bypass it."

She has a small smile, "I know." She says quietly, "One day, I h-happened to come across a tr-training session of Monks over by this beautiful spot on the Wandering Isle. The l-lake was pristine, everything looked so peaceful… even the b-bugs that would normally… er well, 'bug' me, just went about their day."

Despite the positivity in her tone, she is still shaking slightly, "Hey, if you don't want to share this now…" I start.

She shakes her head, "I-I can do th-this. Anyway, I started to um… st-stare, I was entranced by it all. A group of M-Monks, meditating in the middle of this n-natural wonder… I stayed in place for, what, an h-hour? Then they finished and I m-moved before they caught me eyeing them… I tripped on a rock on the way out." She flushes red, "I was e-expecting their trainer to have a st-stern word with me about spying… but she just smiled, helped me u-up and just… took some t-time to talk to me." She smiles, some tears forming, tears of happiness, "I could ba-barely form a sentence, then she… ancestors, she just offered a cl-class of meditation and yoga, just because I h-had so much trouble…"

I nod with a smile on my face, "Sounds like a wonderful person."

She nods quickly, her smile doubles, "She took so much of her fr-free time for me. One day I w-went to her and asked her to teach me to be a Monk… she was overjoyed, sh-she told me she was waiting for me to gather the courage to ask." The mood becomes slightly more solemn, but she is still happy, "It was t-tough, but I was more determined… training for the Wise Serpent style came easily, Spirited Crane was difficult, b-but Fierce Tiger and Sturdy Ox? I co-couldn't even g-get the basics. She to-told me I had too much po-positive Chi, and that I ne-needed to balance it out with negative C-Chi to harness the power for those styles. But then she turn around and also told me i-if I couldn't, then it w-would be alright, I just needed t-to master one st-style to pass the cl-class. So I passed with both Wise Serpent and Spirited Crane."

"Mate." Keaton approaches with with some blood on his mouth, "Got a deer."

Raven jumps when he sees the red fluid on his face, "I'll be back in a bit, Monk. This is normal for him and me, don't let it get to you, alright?"

She slowly nods. "I'm g-going to go s-see Sis."

'Speaking of… Sakura hasn't even bothered to approach me since I seen her.' I shrug and follow Keaton to the kill… fresh meat, 'delicious' . I rip into the deer without a care in the world. "You haven't claimed me in a while." I bring up.

"Don't need to." He responds as another chunk of meat is ripped off.

I nod, "Well, I know I haven't been in heat, but it is sort of a human…"

A quick growl shuts my mouth, "Perhaps if I say it like this. I have no reason to for several months…" He raises an eyebrow.

Blood pools down from my mouth as I process the implications, "I… you think? Really!?" I openly smile. "I'm going to… gods!"

"Mine ." He smirks, "There will be no better pups than ours." I have a huge goofy smile on my face, 'Gods, I am actually going to have his pups!'

We've been marching for hours, apparently making good time, but gods, even my feet are starting to hurt. "B-big sister?" Sakura timidly approaches me. Her two ret… gods, that's right, one of her retainers is Subaki… is that why she has been avoiding me? Subaki, a man with red hair, just slightly darker than Hinoka's, walks proudly beside a woman with long blonde hair, a katana on her side. "How are you d-doing? I heard y-you screaming…"

"It was just a nightmare, I'm fine now." I wave it off, "How are you?"

"Be-better, now that you a-are here…" Despite that, she looks away and tightly grips her staff, tears forming, "Yo-you didn't mean i-it, r-right? Th-that you d-don't want to b-be considered…" She pauses as she is failing to stop herself from crying, "our… family?"

The Samurai is suddenly by her side, glaring holes into me. Subaki stares me down, too, but his gaze lacks the same bite. "Do you not realize how much grief you have put my liege in?" The woman asks me, "She has lost so many days of sleep be…"

"Hana, please." Subaki interupts her, "Sh… Lady Sakura." His voice takes an almost paternal tone.

"I just wanted to know why she is doing this! I will get the answer for you, Lady Sakura." She turns to me, "Well?"

Keaton is by my side, I hear Raven gasp and Hadronix is by her side. 'Why am I having to deal with all the judgement…?' My thinking pauses as the dream-Phoenix's voice pops back in, "Sakura fears you…" I finally look at Hana, a sort of anger bubbling in me, "Well, I have been ripped away from my family that I have known for seventeen years! How do you think I felt when Ryoma and the others trapped me in that castle?" I counter.

She grips the hilt of her katana, and I can sense Keaton is itching to shift. "That doesn't answer my question, 'Lady' Corrin."

"Just because the Hoshidans are my family by blood, doesn't mean they automatically know what I want the most… but here I am! Stuck in a place that I have no desire to be in." 'Partially true, Hoshido is beautiful…'

"Sister, please." Ryoma intervenes. "We…"

"Don't. You. Start." I glare at him, yet he does not flinch, "You all have not helped my situation out one bit… gods, Monk and Hunter, people I have never known my entire life, has helped me out more than you have!" I can sense Raven's approval, despite the literal waves of anxiety coming off of her.

"If you would spare the time, we could accommodate for your needs, but you keep pushing us away." He frowns. "We have already lost Hinoka, Takumi is gone for weeks at a time…"

"Takumi can go bury himself. He. Tried. To. Murder. Me!" I yell.

"Please, stop arguing…" I barely make out Sakura's voice.

"He would not dare." Ryoma counters.

"Stop the fighting…" Raven squeaks out.

"You weren't there, you stubborn prick!" My voice grows hoarse from the constant yelling.

"If you cause my mate any more distress…" Keaton's voice cuts in.

"We just want…" Hana starts.

Then an incredibly loud and sudden *bang* echoes through the air, the sound is ear-splitting… and it came from Hadronix's direction. There is a small plume of smoke near her. One arm is wrapped around Raven, who is visibly shaking, but otherwise seemingly unbothered by that sound, Sakura is in the same position, but with Hadronix's other arm. "Cut. It. Out." Her eyes show off a state of anger, yet her face remains calm, and her voice carrying a sort of authority and deadly calm that scares even my dragon. "Now."

"Ah, it seems she is perfect… I'll leave you in her hands while I set things up."

"Gods, what was that?" Hana yells.

Sakura is also seemingly unaffected. "Wh-what was wh-what? Wh-why is everyone co-covering their e-ears?"

"You didn't hear that loud boom?" Ryoma nearly shouts.

"What?" Subaki responds.

"Now, listen here, you bickering children," Somehow Hadronix's voice cuts through the ringing with ease, without the need for yelling. "If you all want a pissing match, then let's set up camp now, and I'll take out my sound-proof tent so you all can throttle each other there." She takes a breath, "Do you not realize how much grief you are causing Sakura and Monk? These two women are so sweet… Sis has taken a liking to Sakura, she can even talk to her normally and vice-versa. Sis's Monk trainer and I are the only other ones she can do the same with."

The ringing slowly fades, and everyone stays silent… though the air is extremely tense. Ryoma moves up to the front, Sakura goes over to Raven with her retainers, and I stay on the far side with Keaton… until Hadronix walks up to me. "How was Sakura and Monk not affected by that?" My mate asks, "But we were?"

"I placed a noise isolation micro-machine on both of them, it cuts out sudden spikes of sound. Well, Sis has had it on for years now." She states like I know what she used.

"A what?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Just know that it keeps sudden loud sounds from affecting them. I invented them specifically for Sis, I still got the patent with me… and after I saw that Sis likes Sakura, I placed one on her as well."

"Can I have one? Keaton and I have sensitive senses."

She pauses for a moment, "I did say I had a hunch that I needed to help you out… and I am pretty sure that the only reason Ryoma hasn't attempted to lock me up is because I assisted in abducting you." She crosses her arms, "Yes, I knew it was a bad idea, but I needed an example for Sis…"

"Does that mean we can have one of those… Noise, Isolating…?" I cannot remember the rest.

"Micro machine… Yea, I'll have them ready tomorrow." She uncrosses her arms, then pauses for a moment, "Hey, you royals have those two lifetime bodyguards, right? Where are yours?"

I shrug, "Retainers, and I never had any actual retainers. I suppose Jakob counts, but he is my Butler, not my retainer. Why?"

"You've seen Sis and me in action, how about this… We help you out by filling in for that role… you help us by keeping us out of Ryoma's line of fire." She nods to herself, "You'll get our protection from threats, and since we will only answer to you, Ryoma or anyone else can't get all worked up because we don't agree with them."

"You don't agree with some of my methods, either." I point out.

"Ah, I know. But remember, I am following that hunch… and Sis trusts my hunches as much as me, so we would be willing to overlook them for you. We could also provide alternatives, if you wish."

"I don't see anything wrong with this, then." I comment, "Alright, Hunter, I request that you and Monk to become my retainers, do you accept?" I pause, then add, "I don't really know how this goes…"

She smirks, "I accept, and I'm sure Sis will, too." She looks over at Raven, who is casually chatting with Sakura, 'They are truly calm around each other, neither are stuttering.' "And neither do I, but it sounds likes the oath of 'I'll move the world for you and blah, blah, other loyal stuff'." A beat passes, "And if… no, when this is over, if you 'want' to release us, don't feel bad, you won't hurt our feelings."

A thought enters, "What is your world like? What if I want to visit it?"

The smirk fades and the mood drops, "It has a lot of wonders, sure, but it is constantly at war with two sides, kind of like Hoshido and Nohr… but this war has been going on for years without barely a moment to breathe. It is only when a world-ending threat knocks on the door that causes a very tense truce to form. After that is gone, it is right back to ripping each other's throats out."

"Everywhere? All the time? Gods, that's…"

She shakes her head, "Not everywhere, there are a number of safe zones and neutral groups, kind of like this 'Izumo' land, but most of the land is a potential war zone. Now, if you can deal with that, I know Sis would make a list of things to see." The smirk returns, "And it would be a long list."

"I'll… think on it." Hadronix nods in approval.

Camp is set up and the Hunter quickly sets up her 'workshop' tent, then locks the flap. "Engineering is a delicate profession," She tells me, "I need time and peace to get stuff done, don't bother trying to unlock the flap… you can't."

'You can't… not I highly doubt or you have a small chance… just outright you can't.' I trust her, though. She can be a bit rash and is not afraid to voice her opinion, but Raven balances her out. Speaking of, the Monk eagerly accepted the position. 'Maybe for Raven's sake, I'll take back what I said to Ryoma about not being family,' I nod to myself, we all sleep for the night, wake up refreshed, then I can bring it up when we are all calm…

Sleep, gods, I hope that nightmare doesn't rear its head again… hold on, sleep, I gasp, "Where's that man?" I ask out of the blue, Keaton gets up, Sakura and Raven look my way and Ryoma raises his eyebrow, "That man on the horse, the one Hadronix said should wake up soon!"

"He…" Sakura looked away.

"He was po-poisoned." Raven finishes, "It wasn't Sis's f-fault, he had a fresh dagger w-wound when Sakura and I checked up on him, someone t-took him out."

"Again? Why does everytime I want someone alive, they end up dying?" I sigh, "This is a cruel joke the gods placed on me."