A haitus of almost three months is finally done with. I had family, financial, and educational issues to attend to, so I wasn't able to write very often. Even then, writer's block is never a good thing.

I know last time I hinted at Fort Jinya, but there's a pitstop we need to make before going there. There's a side-paralogue we need to visit and I'm sure you'll want to at least see us expand our group. With that, enjoy the semi-side chapter.

In a quiet area of the Hoshidan countryside, a small village was perched in the pains. Some trees bordered it to the south and the east, but other than those, the farmland was all that surrounded the gathering of homes. The village itself was usually peaceful, a place of routine farming and harvesting, light gossip here and there, and a few children playing a game in the center of the village. There wasn't anything that usually would be worth writing about.

However, today wasn't a usual day. Today, the villagers were being attacked by faceless. No one saw them coming until half of the townspeople were gone and the rest of them had been caught without any method of defending themselves. The chaos was brutal, like times of pillaging usually are, but the faceless were relentless, tearing up even the land they trounced upon.

This is the madness that Corrin found himself witnessing. "We have to help these people!" he called out to his allies.

Sinon looked towards the town. "I don't see anyone in the village. We're too late."

Corrin shook his head. "There must be survivors here somewhere. Yuuki, Aiko, Gunter, head towards the village and keep an eye out for survivors. Felicia, Jakob, Azura, try to hold back the faceless from our flanks if you can. Sinon, help me search the thicket south of the village."

Sinon nodded. "It may be our only shot."

Gunter grunted as he snapped the reigns on his steed. "We have a plan! Move out!"

Mozu couldn't believe what had transpired before her. Her mother had been crushed right before her very eyes, she had been chased off from the village in pursuit of safety, and her tools had all been broken apart by the very monsters that were now chasing her. If only this hadn't happened. The village was her home, but now there was nothing left.

Mozu clutched the snapped pitchfork in her hand, holding it out in an attempt to ward off the monsters looming slowly towards her. Finally, one of the brutes raised an arm, slamming it down on her makeshift weapon and knocking Mozu off of her feet. Mozu couldn't move from fear. Her eyes snapped shut as another Faceless prepared to strike.

It was at this moment that she heard an unfamiliar sound: a sword slashing through flesh. Mozu opened her eyes to see a Hoshidan Myrmidon standing over her, holding a steel katana down by her side. The myrmidon turned around, extending her left hand for Mozu to take.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Mozu took her hand.

Mozu shook her head. "My mother, my friends, they're all gone."

The myrmidon nodded. "I think I can help." She took up a defensive pose. "I'll help you fend these off. Try to get away if you see an opening."

"N-No!" Mozu outburst. "These things took my life away. Let me help you!"

The myrmidon shrugged. "I won't turn away the help, but do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

Mozu shook her head. "Not entirely, but I don't care. I can't just stand by while you risk your life protecting me."

The swordswoman nodded. "Hold on a second." She reached to her back and grabbed a lance that was strapped to her back. "Do you think you could use this?"

Mozu nodded. "How hard could it be?"

The swordswoman handed her the lance. "If you can use a pitchfork, not too hard. A sickle isn't too much different from a sword."

Upon hearing that, Mozu's confidence rose. "Then let's go. We can't stay here any longer."

The swordswoman took up a defensive pose, facing away from Mozu and glaring at the approaching monsters. "Hey," she glanced over her shoulder. "I'm Yuzu."

Mozu smiled at her. "Call me Mozu."

Yuzu returned the smile wholeheartedly. "Mozu, huh? Cute."

With that, the two began their fight.

Corrin and Sinon kept eyes toward the small forest as they rushed southward. Corrin was hoping that the few faceless monsters he saw hadn't managed to take down any of the villagers that may have escaped that way. He clutched his dragonstone as he ran forward, remembering what Azura said it would do. He'd used it before during combat, but he hadn't gotten to the point of rage since the plaza. If only he knew what would happen if he did lash out in anger.

He didn't have time to think it over as he spotted two young women, one in simple villager clothing and the other in a hoshidan outfit, surrounded by faceless in the thicket. "Sinon, I see survivors."

Sinon nodded, readying her bow for a shot. "I see them too."

Corrin clutched his dragonstone, morphing into his draconic stag form while rushing forward. "Climb up," he said, his voice now echoed.

Sinon leapt up onto his back and he vaulted over the remaining distance to the faceless group. As Corrin came smashing into the faceless on the far side of the group, Sinon leaped into the air, firing three arrows into the remaining faceless. They began dissolving before her feet hit the ground.

Standing to full height, Sinon turned to the two women. "Are either of you harmed?"

The village girl shook her head. "No. Thank you for helping us."

Corrin had changed back into his human form. "I'm glad we reached you in time. There were far too many of these monsters surrounding you girls."

The myrmidon crossed her arms. "Look, 'Mr. High and Mighty', I can handle myself in combat."

Sinon twirled an arrow between her fingers. "I'd stow your tongue until we get out of this. Those things aren't completely out for the count."

The village girl nodded. "I'm grateful to you for saving us, but who are you exactly?"

Corrin smiled at her. "My name is Corrin." He gestured to Sinon. "This is my retainer, and the legendary Sharp-Shot, Sinon."

The swordswoman facepalmed. "Why did I have to mouth off at him?"

Sinon took note of this action. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm not quite familiar with social interactions. I'm Yuzu, and I was supposed to come looking for you, Lord Corrin."

Corrin was confused. "Wait, you're looking for me?"

Yuzu nodded. "Yeah, uh, how do you say it? I'm supposed to help you in your cause."

Corrin shrugged. "Always glad to have another ally."

Sinon looked over to the villager. "And what's your name?"

The girl looked up at her. "I'm Mozu. These things took my home from me."

Corrin gestured towards the village. "We're on our way to clear it out. Would you come with us?"

Mozu nodded. "Of course. I'll do what I can to help."

Sinon focused her attention through the trees ahead of them. "Lord Corrin, I see four more faceless entering the forest from the west and a group heading into the village."

Mozu gripped her lance tightly. "Let's go then."

After the rest of the faceless had been wiped out, Gunter, Felicia, and Jakob headed out to the next village to assist in anyway they could. Mozu, Aiko, and Yuuki were clearing away the burned wood and gathering the deceased villagers to bury their bodies. Azura, Sinon, and Corrin had pulled Yuzu aside for brief questioning. To Azura and Corrin, she seemed trustworthy to a degree, but Sinon felt that Yuzu was hiding something from them.

Corrin began the conversation without any sense of apprehension or concern in his tone. "Thank you for your assistance. You really helped in a way we didn't expect."

Yuzu scratched her head. "Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just glad to lend a hand."

Sinon crossed her arms, adopting a more serious demeanor. "Alright. Yuzu, Was it? You'd better start talking."

Yuzu raised her eyebrow at the sniper. "I don't get what you mean? What is there to tell?"

Sinon didn't buy it. "Who sent you to help us? You mentioned that you were sent to help us in our cause, but you neglected to say who sent you, why you were sent, or even what you'd get out of it." Sinon noticed that Yuzu was starting to fiddle with a watch in her hand. "That, the fact that we're wanted in both Hoshido and Nohr currently, and your nervousness while I'm mentioning all of this makes you slightly suspicious in my eyes."

Yuzu had been holding her breath, but she sighed once she realized Sinon's perspective. "Well, this is going to be a bit harder to explain here."

Sinon frowned. "Unless it involves time-travel, parallel universes, or the outrealm gate, then you can explain it here."

Yuzu let out a sound that told them everything. "Yeah, it contains those very things..."

Sinon closed her eyes. "Can you at least say who you were sent by?"

Yuzu nodded. "I was sent by a pair, actually. Alm and Celica were their names."

Corrin was taken aback by this. "The legendary Alm and Celica of the Valentian Chronicles?"

Yuzu shrugged. "I'm not sure if they're the same, but they took down a Fell God named Duma."

Azura clutched her pendant. "That's impossible."

Sinon smirked at Yuzu. "Apparently, it is the very same pair. So, that explains a lot of it, but not everything. Why did they send you to help us?"

Yuzu held out the watch in her hand. "They wanted me to accompany you and they asked me to pass this to Corrin."

Corrin looked at the watch. It was pure gold, with a polished gold chain attached to it. The faceplate was white with overlapping gears surrounding a solid white clock. It had three knobs, one across from the chain, the other two running perpendicular to them. It looked like each knob had a different use, but Corrin couldn't figure out what they did.

Yuzu placed it in Corrin's hand. "This is called Mila's Turnwheel. You should be able to figure it out after a quick runthrough of its function. It has three main options, but calling allies to your side from across time is the only one available to us now."

Corrin turned the knob on the left side, but nothing happened. "Any reason why the other two options are unavailable?"

Yuzu placed her hand on her chin. "As far as I know, Alm and Celica used a pair of these devices, but at the end of their travels, Alm's was destroyed and Celica's had its battle function damaged."

Sinon was curious about something. "Couldn't they have either device repaired?"

Yuzu shook her head. "For such a legendary treasure that this was, it was a gift from a goddess. There wasn't anyone who knew how it did these things or knew how to repair them."

Sinon frowned. "And you didn't get here by using it?"

Yuzu crossed her arms. "I took the Outrealm Gate to get here, but I managed to get a boost over here once I arrived in this time."

Corrin pocketed the turnwheel. "Well, I suppose that's one more thing to look at later. Regardless, we'll need to be getting back soon."

At that moment, Yuuki, Aiko, and Mozu walked over from finishing their task. "Are you all finished here?" Yuuki inquired. "We're finished laying the villagers to rest."

Corrin nodded in return. "We're done. Let's go find Gunter, Felicia, and Jakob before we head back."

Later that afternoon, they caught up with Corrin's Nohrian-born retainers in the nearby village. They had been able to reach them in time to not only warn the villagers, but also defend them against a few straggling faceless. In return, the villagers offered to restock some of their provisions, one core thing that Corrin almost forgot to do.

It was during the transporting process that Mozu began to shine. Yuuki started by trying to lift one of the crates, packed to the brim with produce, but couldn't even lift it off of the ground. Setting it down, she tried her best to rest up for another try.

"That's a tad heavier than I expected." She puffed out.

Mozu stepped up next to him. "Let me try."

Before Yuuki could say anything, Mozu placed a crate she was carrying on top of Yuuki's and lifted both with relative ease. Mozu headed off towards the drop off point with both massive crates. Yuuki picked up a smaller box and followed after her.

"Wow!" Yuuki thought aloud. "Mozu's pretty strong."

Yuzu came up right behind her with a crate in arms. "Judging by her lifestyle, she has to be."

Yuuki jumped from the sudden voice. "Oh! I didn't notice you there."

Yuzu shrugged. "Eh, I usually keep quiet while doing less combative actions."

Yuuki brought back her prior thought. "You were saying Mozu had to be strong?"

"Oh, yes," Yuzu confirmed. "Being a villager, there are quite a few tasks that require heavy lifting and higher levels of strength. Mozu may have built up that power from tending to fields or lifting large loads over the course of her entire life."

Yuuki frowned. "I still can't see it."

Yuzu rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of the phrase, 'Don't judge a tome by its binding'?"

Yuuki smiled. "I guess it goes by other words where I'm from. Still, I guess you're right about her being tougher than she looks."

Yuzu nodded. "I have a feeling she'll fit right in."

With everyone back at Fort Dragonia, Gunter, Felicia, Jakob, and Aiko had started on the evening meal while everyone else was off doing other tasks for either themselves or the rest of the group. Yuuki and Yuzu had begun sparring with wooden training swords off near the archery range. Sinon would've practiced her archery, but decided against this when Yuuki almost took her head off when she slipped her grip. She instead joined Azura and Corrin at the stone plaza at the far back of Fort Dragonia, where the two of them were examining the turnwheel with care.

As Sinon approached, she called out to them. "Any luck figuring out the magic pocket watch?"

Corrin looked over his shoulder at her. "Nothing yet. We've been unable to do anything with it so far."

Sinon took a seat to Corrin's right. "Nothing at all?"

Azura shook her head. "The turnwheel itself may require someone with a connection to whoever holds the other turnwheel, or it may take a certain affinity for it to respond."

Sinon reached out for it. "May I try?"

Azura nodded, reaching out to her with the turnwheel. As Azura handed it off to Sinon, the turnwheel gave a tiny flash of dim, blue light. It faded just as fast as it appeared.

Sinon took a look at it thoroughly. "It's strange, but I feel as though I already know how it works."

Corrin raised his eyebrow. "So you know how to use it?"

Sinon nodded. "I'll try. It may do nothing, but if I try, maybe I can get someone to appear."

Without another word, Sinon took the turnwheel in her right hand and twisted one knob two full rotations clockwise, then two counter-clockwise, then one half turn clockwise. As she finished, six pillars of white light flashed at the entrance to Fort Dragonia, catching their attention immediately. Once the light faded, the three of them could see six figures, though from the distance they were at, no one could tell what they were.

"I know they could be friendly," he said to the two next to him. "But we won't know for sure if we don't greet them."

Azura followed behind Corrin as he briskly walked across the courtyard to greet the six newcomers. Sinon stayed back at the rear plaza, turnwheel still in hand. Her eyes began to examine it thoroughly, inspecting everything she could, whilst reminding herself that she could use it to her advantage.

Once Corrin and Azura reached the newcomers, they managed to get a good look at them. Each wore distinct outfits that set them apart from the others, some of them coming straight from the legends and myths from long ago.

The first newcomer was adorned in blue and golden armor, making him seem more like a king than a simple fighter. He wore a golden tiara in his royal blue hair, which was combed neatly and kept at a considerable length. At his waist, a single sword in a golden sheath hung from his belt. His blue cape flowed behind him, the red underside being only visible from the front. The man himself was around Corrin's height, slightly lean, yet strongly built for a noble figure. This was Marth, Prince of Altea from long ago and the Hero King of old.

The one to Marth's left was another story entirely. This man was built like a tank, with muscles rivaling heavy hitters and his height reaching the towering 6'5" he was known for. He wore leather armor across his chest, a blue pauldron with golden trim protecting his left arm, khaki-colored pants, a red cape adorned with an emblem, and a green headband wrapped around his short, blue hair. His sword was far larger than any Corrin had seen, with a length of five feet and a blade of a golden-tinted metal. He was better known as the Radiant Hero of Legend, but his name was Ike.

The third was dressed in dark robes, midnight purple in their main hue, but etched in with lighter purple markings across the back, sleeves, and down the sides. His hood was pulled back, revealing his silver hair and kind smile. In his hands, he held a tome with a thunderbolt on the front and spine as well as a levin sword. Although Corrin didn't know it at the time, the robed figure was Robin, a tactician well known in the future nation of Ylisse.

The woman next to Robin was dressed similarly to Marth, but with a few differences. Her hair was the same color as Marth's, but it fell down behind her to about the center of her shoulder blades. Her armor was a slightly darker blue, trimmed with a bronze-colored metal. Her cape was similar to Marth's, but instead of the Altean Emblem across the backside, the Brand of the Exalt took its place on her cape. Upon getting a closer look, Azura noticed that the same Brand was on the woman's left eye. This was Lucina, Robin's wife and the next in line for the throne of Ylisse.

A woman in green hair stood behind the pair, keeping her emerald eyes focused on the surroundings nearby. She was dressed in a sky blue, slightly hoshidan-styled swordswoman's garb with gold trim and shorter sleeves. Her hair was pulled back by a small leather band into a single ponytail that extended down her back. Strapped to her leather belt, she carried a single-edged blade with a red hilt and a green handle, sheathed within a white and red adorned scabbard. On her back was a shorter blade with silver adornments on the pommel and crossguard. She was holding her left hand within her right, appearing to adjust how the black, fingerless gloves fit to her hands. This was the plainswalker, Lady Lyndis of Caelin.

The last newcomer was a young man about Corrin's age. He had neon red hair, which was bold enough to convince Corrin that it wasn't entirely natural, which was cut short and adorned with a blue headband similar to Ike's. He was dressed in royal blue armor with gold trimmings and white decorations running down the front, white guards that covered his boots, and silver armguards that covered his forearms where his red, fingerless gloves did not. His cape was violet with a red underside, adorned with the outline of two wings in a fire as the emblem on his back. His golden-hilted sword was sheathed in the golden scabbard clipped behind his back. Roy was his name and his lineage included his father, Eliwood of Pherae.

Corrin was astounded by the gathering of lords before him. These were figures from legendary tales and future times. Sinon had brought them here in physical form! This was miraculous!

While Azura chose to approach the couple, Corrin went towards Roy to greet him. "Welcome," he greeted the young legend.

"Good afternoon," the red-headed royal spoke up. "I'm Roy, son of Eliwood. I come from the land of Pherae." Roy took a look around at Fort Dragonia. "Are you the Lord of this Castle?"

Corrin nodded. "Indeed I am, though I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a lord."

Roy frowned at him. "But you're the leader of these residents, right? That makes you a lord in my book." Roy held his left wrist in his right hand. "You don't need to hold that sword so tightly. I'm just here to talk."

Corrin planted the Yato in the ground next to him. "You look like you've been fighting for a long time. When did you first begin fighting?"

Roy crossed his arms. "I started learning how to fight at a very young age, but I was called to defend my nation when I was only fifteen. My father had gotten ill with age and couldn't protect his nation from the invading forces of the time."

Corrin sighed. "It sounds like you adored your father."

Roy smiled at him. "What son doesn't? Your father doesn't define who you are, but their care helps you to become the man you need to be." Roy's smiled faltered slightly when he noticed Corrin's expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

Corrin shook his head. "My apologies, but no, you said nothing wrong. It's just, well, recently I've gone through some family-related issues."

Roy nodded. "I understand. Regardless, you seem to treat others with care and respect. I'm sure we'll meet again, but I'd like some time to learn about this world."

As Roy said his goodbye, Corrin waved in reply. "Take care, Roy."

Corrin made his way over to the lone planeswalker. "Are you alright? You look rather spaced out?"

She shook her head. "Oh, I'm fine. It was just kind of sudden how I arrived here. One moment, I'm traveling with my friends, then I found myself here."

Corrin smiled. "Sorry. It's kind of our fault for that."

She shook her head. "No need to apologize. I trust they'll be able to get along without me while they're together." She held out her right hand. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Lyndis, but you can call me Lyn."

Corrin shook her outstretched hand. "I'm Corrin."

Lyn smiled at him. "Corrin? What a nice name."

Corrin returned the cheerful expression. "Thanks. Are you by any chance from Hoshido?"

Lyn shook her head. "Sorry to tell you, but I've never heard of Hoshido. I come from the Sacean Plains, living there almost my whole life."

Corrin breathed a slight sigh of relief. "I was curious. You're robes seem to be based on Hoshidan attire."

Lyn frowned at him. "I may have to see what you mean later, but I'd hate to overstay my welcome." Lyn crossed her arms. "I can't leave without offering you something in return for playing host, so allow me to give you this."

Lyn held out a small, necklace-bound charm. It was made from a durable, yet polished metal with a sapphire embedded in its core. It gave off a faint glint of blue light as she handed it to Corrin.

"A friend of mine managed to get their hands on that charm for me, but I feel it should aid you more than me." Lyn smiled as Corrin put it on, tucking the small charm underneath his armor. "Take care of it until I get back, will you?"

Corrin nodded. "I will. Thank you for coming, Lyn. You're always welcome here."

Lyn waved her goodbye as Corrin made his way to greet the others present.

That night, Sinon couldn't manage to get any sleep. She found herself out on the archery range, loosing arrows into targets to relieve some tension. The feeling of releasing the arrows into the wind was soothing for her and the gentle sound of the arrows piercing the targets was akin to a singing voice. Sinon lined up her next shot, let it fly, and then watched it as it split her prior arrow right down the middle.

"Trouble sleeping?" She heard from behind her.

Sinon lowered her bow as she turned to face Azura. "I suppose we all do from time to time."

Azura nodded. "Perhaps. I guess this is how you clear your mind?"

"Not exactly," Sinon replied, reaching for another arrow. "Archery just reminds me of the old times."

"The times before you met your friends?"

Sinon turned towards the targets. "A time when I feared the very weapons I wielded."

Azura was confused by that. "How so?"

Sinon sighed. "I suppose it is a bit tough to explain, but I had a traumatic experience with crossbows."

Okay, Sinon thought. That's only half-true, but she won't know what guns are.

Azura sat down on one of the nearby stools Sinon had set up. "Then, why did you become an archer?"

Sinon set Galesbane down on the weapons rack. "When I was younger, around eight years old, I was living with my mother. We had a happy life for the most part, but there came a day when our...local market was attacked by a crossbow-wielding madman." Sinon's expression fell, not wanting to explain the truth about unfamiliar concepts, but not wanting to lie at the same time. "He became panicked, angry, and even threatened an expecting mother. In an act of selflessness, I bit his hand, he dropped his weapon, and I wound up...killing him with it."

Sinon gripped her arm, the painful memories returning, yet only making her saddened by it. "When all was said and done, it was an act of self-defense, so I went unpunished by it. It tore me up how he glared at me in his final moments, how much power the weapon unleashed on him, and how gruesome the scene was. Anytime I held a crossbow, I went into panic attacks, fits of hallucinations, and even had an upset stomach from it."

Azura had no idea how painful it was for her, but she felt sorry for her. "I'm sorry for bringing about those memories. I had no idea."

Sinon wiped away a tear, a smile adorning her face. "Don't be. I overcame that fear long ago. I managed to use archery, marksmanship, and some exercises to relieve the fear, but a friend of mine showed me what my actions did for those present." Sinon wiped away another tear. "He brought me to meet the mother I saved that day, along with the child she was carrying. They let me know that through my act of selflessness, I saved their lives. I was able to see the amount of good that I could do with a bow. It was this that lead me to overcome my fear of the weapons themselves."

Sinon sighed. "Sorry, I'm usually not this emotional, but those memories are really what made me who I am today. If I can help those around me and save those in need, then my actions, no matter what they are, can be justified by the people I'm protecting."

Azura smiled at her. "You seem to have a firm resolve to your duty, Sinon."

Sinon shook her head. "If anything, I'm just glad to have someone to follow who has such a resolve. Corrin is dead-set on uniting both families to defeat a mutual enemy, all because he's dedicated to the families he's a part of."

Azura's gaze wandered off. "I guess, when you put it that way, it sounds like he's one of a kind."

Sinon: I get the feeling she's beginning to fall in love with him.

N-Sight: How can you tell?

Sinon: Isn't that kind of out of nowhere?

N-Sight: Not really. She's just noticing those enticing qualities of his.

Sinon: Why do I get the feeling that you're talking about something dirty?

N-Sight: You've been hanging around Laslow too much. Besides, she'll be fighting alongside him more frequently in the future.

Sinon: Seems fair to me. Hey, would you help me with this turnwheel?

N-Sight: Girl, I live as the author and I bring you guys into this endslate to keep from getting bored to death. I can't help you.

Sinon: And neither can you keep from shattering the fourth wa-

N-Sight: SHH! As long as you never say those two words together, we can get away with it down here.

Sinon: Ugh. Nevermind.