We have just exited the castle and are on the outskirts of Izumo, when Xander announced I will be returning with him. "You can't just take her!" Ryoma exclaims. 'Gods, this man is so thick.'

"I am an adult, Ryoma, you can't keep me with you!" I counter. "Besides, I am only here because you had me abducted!"

"We're not getting her back, brother. She's too far gone." Takumi states. "She died the day Nohr stole her from us."

"Ta-Takumi! H-How could y-you say th-that?!" Sakura squeaked, "Our sister is still there."

I internally sigh, 'Sakura is the only one who really cares…'

"Consider it done, my little dragon." Phoenix's voice sounds out. Wow, she is really willing to do anything if I do what she wants...

"Sister…" Takumi says in a disappointed tone, "You and Ryoma need to face the facts, and the fact is that Corrin is not coming back!"

"Enough!" Ryoma shouts as we walk away. "Corrin! We will bring you back to your senses." I roll my eyes, 'Keep hanging on to that lie, I am sure it will work eventually.'

"We are relieved to have you back, sister." Xander says.

"Absolutely, our dear, sweet Yasei has returned." Camilla hugs me.

Elise hugs me… then kisses me in front of everyone, my face flushes, "Gods, I missed you." Her face is red and her breathing is short.

"E-Elise?" Xander stammers, "I... you and Yasei? When?"

I giggle at his uncharacteristic reaction, "For a while now, weeks? Before what, Cheve?"

She hums, "Well, I haven't been keeping track, but yep."

"They are so cute together." Camilla purrs.

"Where are we going, big brother?" Elise asks after she lets go and skips beside me.

"Hm? Yasei is still the commander, I was just filling in until then." He pauses, "Phoenix informed me you did not want the position, but I thought you knew. King Garon ordered it."

"...Ohhh. I never heard that." I look away, "Gods… it's alright, though, I know I can do it." 'Phoenix opened my eyes to that truth.' "What I want to do is check up on Leo. I need to know what happened to him. It's killing me not knowing."

Xander hesitates, but nods, "That will take us quite a while, and King Garon may even order us to redirect if it does take too long. So I suggest we move double-time if you want a chance."

We followed Xander's suggestion and the border is within sight the same night. But by the gods do my legs and feet are protesting. "I'm not sure if I can do double-time all the way, big brother." I am sitting by the campfire, eating a bowl of the famous Nohrian slosh.

He chuckles, "It's all right, we already cut off at least an extra day."

"I think you are just out of shape, Missy!" Elise calls out, a huge smile on her face.

"...Are you calling me fat?" I ask.

"It's called being bouncy!" Hadronix says and I giggle.

"Regardless, like you have the right to talk, you sat on your horse the whole way!" I counter. "Xander didn't use his mount at all."

"That's besides the point." She winks.

"Our sister has a point, Elise," Xander starts, "It would be wise to train on-foot as well." Suddenly a somber moment hits the camp and Camilla's eyes cast downward.

"Big sister?" I nudge her.

She simply shakes her head, "I'll take first watch."

"I-I know what I want!" I hear a voice shout, 'Sakura?' And sure enough, Sakura arrives with Hana and Subaki in tow.

Camilla, Xander, and Selena are on edge. "Princess Sakura…" Xander has his sword out, "We are no longer in Izumo's boundaries."

"I-I…" She pauses and gathers her confidence, "I am leaving Hoshido!" The entire camp goes still at the confession, "All Takumi and Ryoma are doing is arguing about what went wrong, and why things are going this or that way! I'm sick of it!" The nervousness is gone and she actually looks angry, "Corrin… Yasei, if you won't come back… then I will come with you!" She looks around and suddenly shrinks into herself, "Gods… I-I didn't m-mean to y-yell…" She pauses again, "P-please, B-big Sister… I-I just w-want to be w-with you a-again… even if, even if y-you don't consider me f-family…"

Hana frowns, "I go where Sakura goes."

Subaki nods, "As do I."

"Sister?" Xander asks, Siegfried still unsheathed.

"Your call, darling." Camilla adds.

"Let her join." I say and her face brightens, "If you want to stay, then welcome… sister." She throws herself at me and cries onto my shoulder.

"Aw…" Elise coos, "How cute…" She gasps, "That means… you have two little sisters! Yaaaay! It's like I have a twin now! Welcome to the family, sis!" Elise jumps into the hug.

Sakura actually came to me… Gods, it's a miracle. If only the rest of them saw things her way… 'but they don't, which means they are not family.'

"And they will get what is coming to them…"

I am sleeping in a tent with just Elise and myself. Thankfully, Hadronix pulls an extra one out of her pocket and lets us use it. It came with a bed. An actual bed. It is large, it is plush, and it is wonderful! I quickly remove my armor, and Elise does the same… and she stops and stares. "What?" I ask.

She tilts her head, "Your scales… they aren't light-blue anymore…"

I turn towards the built-in mirror and stare at myself… 'red' "They are red…" A darker shade of red then Ryoma's armor and… and… I look myself over, previously uncovered spots, all around my feet… the back of my hands, my neck, and around my shoulders… scaled. 'Gods…' That just leaves my breasts, face, and a small section around my core. I stagger back, "I… gods, I am…"

"Not a freak! Don't even think that." I turn to her, her face is determined, eyes are full of love, "You are beautiful the way you are."

I look myself over again… a small purple glow pops in and out on the back of my right hand so fast, that I didn't even get to register anything more than a flash. "She is right, you are beautiful, little dragon… let her comfort you." I relax, Elise is right… and Phoenix is right. The voice is reassuring, just like Elise. My Elise. "Thanks, love… I needed that." I nod and she smiles. "Let's get some sleep, okay?" Another nod and we climb into the luxurious bed. We don't even bother with the covers, gods know I am generating enough heat on my own. "I love you, Elise."

She giggles, "I love you too, Yasei." She brings me into a kiss. 'Pure bliss…'

"What exactly are you doing, Hunter?" I hear from the outside, it is Xander.

"Environmental analysis." I sigh at her response.

"I should probably make sure nothing happens," I state, "Hunter can be… blunt at time." Elise frowns, but nods. I get my armor back on and head outside to see Hadronix adjusting some sort of device, 'Gods know what it actually is,' it looks like a small pillar made of metal, but it barely passes by my knees. "Hunter?"

She briefly looks up before returning her gaze on the device. "Hold on."

Xander stands about two feet away, his arms crossed, "Is this… normal?" He looks at me.

"For her and Monk, yep." I nod, "She has some pretty… unique things she can do." Hadronix's device lets out a small whirring sound that even I have trouble hearing, before stopping, she nods and seems satisfied. "Uh, it sou…"

Hadronix shoots me a look and shakes her head. "I know, that's how it is supposed to work." Another small wave of lying comes from her and she must have noticed my disbelief, because she sighs, "I'll tell you in a bit." She gets up from the device, "Don't let anyone's curiosity cause this to mess with it, it is quiet delicate, Crown Prince Xander." She smiles at him.

He looks at me and I shrug, "I'm not going to say I understand, but if my sister trusts you…"

Hadronix tilts her head towards her tent and we both go enter it, Raven is inside, kicking her feet while drawing on something. "Sis," She smiles at her, "Oh, hi Y-Yasei."

My Hunter-retainer messes with the flap again before addressing us, "We got a problem." She simply states, before sighing. "Yasei, I'm pretty sure I figured out why a few things turned out the way they did."

"What 'few' things?" I ask as I take a seat next to the bed, where Raven has pushed her drawing book away. I quick glance reveals a well-drawn and detailed picture of… two orange-fur bears and two black and white-fur bears? "Pandarens are like bears, but smaller and can stand on two legs, we also have orange fur." One of them has armor like Hadronix, one has armor like Raven, the two 'Sis' are hugging each other. One is a large male, he is standing behind both of them, he has a mostly black shirt on, with white trims, there is also a staff on his back, but unlike Raven's, his has a small… keg? The last one is a small child, female if going by the light-pink vest/pants she has on. The girl is on the right shoulder of Raven and the left shoulder of Hadronix.

"Who are they?" I suddenly ask.

"O-oh!" Raven starts, and takes a look at Hadronix, "Well, this is Sis, that is me," She points to the ones whose armor is the same as theirs, "This is my brother, Chen Stormstout," A finger points at the large male, "and she is my niece, Lili Stormstout." She directs towards the small girl. "The background will be of Valley of the Four Winds, at the Stormstout Brewery." Wow, she managed to not stutter. A gentle, loving smile graces her face.

"That's really well-drawn." I compliment and she simply flushes red and nods in response.

Hadronix goes into a desk and pulls out a notebook, "Now then," She starts, "The informant leak for the first one." She glances at me, "And the man you wanted alive." She flips through the pages, "The man on the horse, back in Fort Jinya." Another few pages, but she stops and shakes her head. She takes a small device off of the table, it has a single button on it.

"What about them?" I goad after several minutes of silence.

But she turns her attention to Raven, "Sis, if I'm right, then we were followed on our way here. This world, I mean."

"B-but, we got h-here in a t-tornado." And the stutter is back.

"She hitched a ride." Hadronix shrugs. "Yasei, over the years I have acquired a number of enemies, though a few stand out." She sighs, "It's to be expected, but this specific one is the most persistent of the bunch. She's a Rogue named 'Lotus'."

Raven gasps, "L-Lotus? I kn-know her!"

I look between the two, "And that means…?"

"She can make Saizo's invisible trick look like child's play." She pauses as the implications set in, "She's the one that killed that man and is… was the informant leak, maybe still is one."

"How do we take care of her, then?"

She shakes her head, "'We' don't, I do. She's my problem, anyway, that's all." I tilt my head and get up, then she deftly presses that button and I hear a small whir fill the air, "Now, onto the actual stuff."

I hesitate, "You just said…"

To add to my confusion, she starts giggling, "If Phoenix thinks she is going to play me for a fool…" She places the device back. "Then I'll gladly play along if it means I get the upper hand later."

"What are you talking about?" My interest is piqued.

"S-Sis?" Raven starts.

"First off, screw what she 'warned' us about, I don't need enhanced senses to tell when someone is talking out of their ass." She furrows her brows and frowns, "Yasei, you've experienced a heavy loss recently. The third and fourth thing Lotus did, she got her hands on a Beast Killer, covered it with Oboro's scent and killed Keaton with it." I pause as a swarm of memories hit me, "Exactly, where's the stress-induced transformation?" She looks around and raises her hands, "There isn't."

"How?" I ask, "I would've noticed a new scent."

She pulls a disgusted look, "I don't know and for once, I don't think I want to know, nothing pleasant probably." She taps her foot, "By why assault something you hold dear? She is after me."

Another looming silence comes in and my mind finally catches up and comprehends everything I heard. Tears start falling, "Th-then, Keaton won't see his pups."

Hadronix raises an eyebrow and Raven gently moves over and hugs me, "Lady Yasei, don't let a single word about this get out, this is still guesswork, and I don't need Lotus being tipped off." Raven breaks off the hug, "Sleep well." She presses that button again and the whirling fades. 'What is that?'

I nod, get up, and leave. 'Time to sleep that off.' I shake my head, 'those two are truly something else.' I make my way back to my tent, where Elise is now doodling on a sheet of paper on the bed, naked. 'Well then.' I clear my throat, "Hey." I smile.

"Heya!" She greets, "So, what was Hunter working on?" She puts the paper away.

"Elise, Hunter does things that are beyond my understanding," I gesture at the tent, "Remember, this came out of her pocket."

"Yeah…" She looks around.

A moment passes, "Mind if we start thinking of baby names?"

A huge smile adorns her face, "You bet!" She pulls out that paper again, where there is already a list of names, "So, how about…"