After god knows how long, CHAPTER 11 IS FINISHED!

The reason I'm late: Life happened. I went hunting(job hunting) and hadn't come back from it until now.

That being said, I barely had enough free time to finish up this chapter and write out a little more on other stories. They won't be rolling out for a little while longer, but rest assured, I do have life sorted out and taken care of.

As for this chapter, I'll let the text tell the tale.

After the encounter at Mozu's village, Corrin decided that they'd taken too long to reach Fort Jinya. It wasn't too far from the Bottomless Canyon, so they managed to close the remaining distance the following afternoon. Corrin contemplated over again mentally about how it would turn out. He didn't want to fight unless it came to that, but he wasn't entirely certain they'd listen to him, much less believe him. Still, the thought of not being able to reach out to the hoshidans weighed heavily on his heart.

As Fort Jinya came into view, Gunter held up an arm to caution those behind him. "Listen carefully, everyone. Fort Jinya is just ahead. It should be well defended by Hoshidan soldiers at this point."

Corrin nodded. "Let's try to reach out to them as peaceful as possible."

Gunter held him back. "Milord, didn't you say that you'd been branded as a traitor? Any armed men within may have the order to attack you on sight."

Azura placed her hand on Corrin's shoulder. "Also, you must not forget about the curse. You can't tell anyone what we've learned."

Corrin smiled back at her. "I know. Just the same, I have to try and talk to them. If they truly want the war to end swiftly, some of them may be willing to hear us out." Corrin took a deep breath. "I just hope there won't be any hostility towards us."

Sinon stepped forward. "We're with you every step of the way, Corrin, no matter what happens."

"Thanks, Sinon." Corrin mentally readied himself for rejection. "All right, here goes nothing. If I speak from within, I'm certain that someone here will understand."

Corrin looked around at the entrance to the white walled citadel, said structure now only a few yards away. "So this is Fort Jinya… Have the Hoshidan forces abandoned it? It's so quiet here…"

As he said this, Yukimura stepped out from around the corner.

Corrin donned a smile on his face. "Ah! Yukimura…"

Yukimura's stern expression didn't change. "You have some nerve showing your face around here, Lord Traitor."

Sinon closed her eyes. "I figured there would be trouble."

Yukimura fixed his glare on Azura. "And the same goes for you, Lady Azura. You were raised alongside the other royal heirs of Hoshido and yet… You seem to have had no trouble taking your own side when it benefitted you." He closed his eyes and paused momentarily. "I wonder if you ever truly believed this land was your home…"

Azura said nothing in reply, but Sinon stepped forward. "You don't understand, Yukimura! We haven't betrayed either side in this war. Do you realize how hard it was for Lord Corrin to choose between the family he knew and the one he was reunited with?"

Yukimura's eyes snapped open as he faced the legendary archer. "Silence! I won't let you try and justify your cause or your actions! The same goes for the three of you as well!"

Corrin tried reaching out again. "Please, Yukimura…"

Gunter looked towards Mozu with a concerned look. "We did not expect this to be too easy. It's unfortunate, but we should be ready for a battle."

Aiko stepped up from behind the group. "Yukimura, please. Just hear us out!"

Yukimura cut her off. "I can not afford the luxury to listen to your venomous diction." His deadly glare was now refocused on Corrin. "You abandoned your family in our most desperate hour. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd helped those black-hearted Nohrians capture Lord Takumi!" His expression fell slightly. "And on top of everything else, Lord Ryoma has gone missing…"

Corrin looked down solemnly. "It can't be… My brothers are-"

Yukimura snapped back immediately. "Your brothers?! You dare think of yourself as a member of the royal family? Thanks to you, ill has befallen Hoshido's best and bravest."

Corrin returned his saddened look to Yukimura. "I… I'm sorry. I never meant for-"

Yukimura turned away from Corrin, stepping away from the group. "I don't want your apologies. I want you to atone for your crimes. Guards! Capture the traitors!"

Sinon stepped up, placing a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "It's no use, Lord Corrin. They won't listen to us."

Azura looked over towards him. "What should we do Corrin?"

Corrin sighed. "Everyone, we need to fight back. Disarm our opponents, leave them alive and without injuries if you can."

Gunter frowned. "Is that your wish, milord? Would that solve anything?"

Corrin nodded. "If we can show that we truly don't aim to kill anyone, we can prove how we're not out to destroy Hoshido."

Jakob bowed. "As you command, milord."

Sinon looked towards the fort. "What about the elevated ninja?"

Corrin found what she was referring to. Along different walls in the fort, several ninja had taken position with shurikens raised, set on taking out targets from a range. Corrin was surprised by such tactics, but he didn't let that sight scare him.

"Try to defend against them or use your magic arrows," Corrin replied. "That'll help you start, but if you need another strategy, let me know and we'll work something out."

Yuuki stepped up, holding her swords at the ready. "Any formations you want us to stick with?"

Corrin nodded. "Yuuki and Aiko, cover me as I lead the way, but stay slightly more defensive in your approach than you did last time. Gunter, Jakob, and Felicia, cover the rear so that no one tries to flank us. Yuzu and Mozu, stay close to Sinon in case she needs defense for close-ranges. Azura, you're with me at the front."

With that, Corrin and Azura rushed forward, their weapons at the ready for when foes would approach them.

It hadn't taken them long to reach the halfway point in the fort, but their progress was impeded slightly by a set of archers. The yumi-wielding pair had an adequate amount of space between them and Corrin's group, with a single wall as the only cover for Corrin and his allies. If they tried moving around the wall, the archers opened fire with a volley of arrows. Corrin tried a lot of ideas, but in the process of testing them, he almost took an arrow to his shoulder.

Corrin tried to catch his breath, leaning against the wall for some support. "I don't know how to get by them without causing harm to them. They just won't let up."

Sinon peeked her eye around the corner before drawing her bow. "I've got an idea, but you have to trust me."

Azura looked over at her. "Any reason why you won't just tell us?"

Sinon shook her head. "Because if I did, you and Corrin wouldn't like it."

Corrin took in a deep breath. "Do what you have to, but stay safe."

Sinon smirked at him, drawing a fire arrow to the string. "We've done this before."

Corrin frowned. "Wait, 'we'?"

Sinon looked over at Yuuki and Aiko. "Yuuki, Aiko. We're up!"

The twins nodded, bolting from their positions into the path of the archers. Sinon stepped out from behind cover, sending the fire arrow passing between the twins and soaring towards the archers. The arrow hit the wall behind them, setting the crate behind them ablaze in the process. While one of them immediately noticed the burning crate, the other paid no mind to it, letting an arrow fly towards Yuuki. Yuuki twisted her body to slide under the arrow, slashing it aside with her steel sword, before rolling to regain her momentum.

The archer send three more arrows at her, not noticing his companion trying to put out the fire with a nearby tarp. Aiko slashed one arrow aside as she stepped out of the path of the other two. This gave Yuuki enough time to bring her Levin Sword into position for a spinning slash. In one motion, Yuuki twisted herself entirely around in a spiral, slashing through the second arrow's shaft, splicing the third one down the center with her Levin Sword, and sending an electric bolt flying towards the archer. The archer ducked under the bolt, just in time for Aiko to reach his position and slash the tip of his bow, right beneath where the string was wound. The yumi snapped, smacking the archer's hand with the string. The archer yelped in pain as the bowstring hit, but didn't have time to retaliate as his friend tackled him out of the way as the fire was about to reach him.

Aiko and Yuuki rounded the corner as Sinon signaled for the others to advance. As Aiko stepped out, she was struck in the shoulder by a shuriken, sending her Levin Sword falling from her right hand. As she brought her left arm up to hold her steel sword defensively, she got a good look at a red-clad ninja, Saizo, as he readied another shuriken.

The ninja spoke to her, preparing her for the inevitable fight at hand. "I am Saizo, retainer to Lord Ryoma. I am certain that you are to blame for my lord's disappearance."

Aiko nodded. "I am Aiko, retainer to Lord Corrin. We only seek an audience to explain ourselves, not a fight to end you all."

Saizo paused, his eyes taking in her determination and resolve. "Well then," he said, brandishing the shuriken. "Prepare to fight for your lord. I'd gladly die for my cause. Can you say the same?"

Aiko nodded. "I can, but I don't have to die for victory."

Saizo said nothing, only returning the same determined glare at his opponent. The staredown between them lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an hour-long, heated debate between the two. Aiko's unchanged glare was one of purpose, rather than one of threat. Saizo's, on the other hand, was both trying to intimidate, but also analytical, trying to get a read on how Aiko would respond both in combat and in the staredown.

Finally, they simultaneously lunged forward, bringing blades clashing against each other instantly. Aiko managed to slide her blade back into a defensive stance as Saizo went in for another shoulder strike. The shuriken flew from his fingers and bounced off of her blade, spinning off towards the wall behind Saizo. Having no proper weapon to fight with, Saizo moved his gauntlets up to catch her slash. With one quick twist, Saizo had effectively disarmed Aiko, throwing the sword from her hands and sending it clattering to the ground.

Aiko wasn't going to let the fight end this easily. She managed to get a bit of distance between herself and her opponent, choosing to use a discarded shuriken as a defense mechanism. Saizo chuckled as he rushed forward, leaping into the air for a spin kick aimed directly at Aiko's chest. Aiko ducked under the kick, using the shuriken like a knife to cut away his shin guards. The armor fell away from his legs as Aiko pulled him into a clumsy chokehold. Saizo knew she hadn't done one of these before, so he pulled downward, knocking Aiko's legs out from under her and sending her toppling to the ground.

Aiko hit the stone hard, knocking the wind from her lungs, keeping her effectively out for the count. Luckily for her, Sinon had come to her rescue, pinning Saizo to the opposite wall with a well-placed arrow. Sinon picked up Aiko with one arm, grabbing a knife on her belt with her free hand.

"Stay where you are, Saizo." Sinon warned the red-clad ninja. "I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."

Saizo grunted. "You have every reason to kill me, traitor!"

Sinon shook her head. "No, you have every reason to kill me, but I have none to harm you."

Saizo sighed in frustration. If protecting his allies was his highest priority, he did a lousy job of it. Still, if they truly meant to defend and disarm, rather than conquer the fort, Saizo would at least let them prove their intentions. Fortunately for him, he was able to remove himself from the wall just as the fighting ended. He wasn't too far from Yukimura and Orochi, who were at the mercy of Corrin's party, but due to his shuriken being out of his sight, he opted to approach carefully and stay out of sight, rather than approach with an offensive weapon.

Yukimura propped himself up on his broken steed. "I don't understand… We're defeated… Why don't you kill us?"

Corrin shook his head. "Because we don't have to continue with this senseless violence. I know how to end it! However, I need your help in order to do it."

Yukimura furrowed his brow. "Ugh… Helping you means turning against Hoshido. And you say I must do this to help Hoshido? I don't believe you. How can I trust someone who has turned against everything I love?"

Orochi shouted her opinion. "Y-yeah! We'll only trust you if you can bring back all the lives you've taken! Return Lady Mikoto, and maybe we'll listen!"

Sinon looked at her with a solemn expression. "If only we could, then there would be no need for this war. What you ask for is impossible!"

Saizo stepped into view. "What you ask for, as well as what Orochi demands, are both ludicrous gestures."

Sinon turned to him. "Saizo, don't you-"

Saizo closed his eyes. "There is no other way… I must sacrifice my life to rid our land of these Nohrian fiends…"

As he said this, Saizo's shoulders began to emit a slight fog. The mist began to slowly spread across his arms, down his back, and farther down along his body. It was a suicidal technique, where the user explodes himself from within and takes out any opponents within the direct vicinity.

"I'll show you what true dedication and loyalty mean!" Saizo roared in pain as his body began building a tremendous amount of energy.

Sinon gestured for the others to step away. "Get back! He's preparing to destroy himself to take us out!"

Corrin held out his hand in a halting gesture. "Saizo, stop!"

Saizo's unscarred eye began to steam. "I believe only in the future of Hoshido… Even if I must sacrifice myself, I will be the end of you!"

"No, Brother!" A voice called from behind Corrin. "You're wrong!"

From over the wall behind Corrin, Kaze leaped out in one fluid motion, landing in front of Saizo. The scarlet-robed ninja had barely enough time to bring his arm guard up to block as his brother locked his shuriken with Saizo's armguard. Out from behind Corrin, Sakura rushed forward, holding a support staff in her hands.

Sakura held out her arms in defense of Corrin. "Stop, please! Saizo, d-don't hurt my brother!"

Corrin looked to each of them in surprise. "Kaze! Sakura!"

Saizo glared down his brother. "Why are you interfering? These people deserve their fate. They've turned against Hoshido!"

Kaze addressed his brother with passion in his eyes. "Brother, you mustn't be so rash! Lord Corrin is honest and kind hearted! When I was captured in Nohr, it was Corrin who allowed me to escape! He saved me, an imprisoned enemy, without worrying about what his consequences could entail for doing so."

Sakura clenched her rod in her hands. "Corrin is…a kind and honorable person. Look!" As she gestured to the men that Corrin's group had fought, Saizo took a good look at the death toll. What surprised him was that no one had fallen in battle, only disarmed. "Even d-during this fight, they didn't kill a single defender! Why would he do that if he had truly betrayed Hoshido?! There must be a reason!" Saizo turned his attention to the princess, in time to notice tears welling up within her eyes. "Please, just hear him out!"

Saizo growled in disgust, but her words rang true. If Corrin had betrayed Hoshido, like Saizo had accused him of doing, he wouldn't have paid any mind to the lives he took. On top of that, Yukimura began the fight out of self-defense, while Corrin sought only to talk. Why would he do this when Fort Jinya was clearly a heavily fortified outpost? Why not try to take their lives after the battle ended or attempt to take the survivors hostage? Why did Saizo feel that Kaze was in the right about Corrin?

It was these convictions that lead Saizo to disperse the smoke floating around him. "Very well."

Kaze sighed in relief as he stepped back. "Thank you, Brother…"

Saizo shot him a look as he crossed his arms. "This doesn't mean I trust him, but I will listen to what he has to say."

Sinon nodded. "Our real enemy is not in Nohr or hidden in Hoshido. It lies somewhere else."

Corrin followed up with his evaluation. "The explosion in Hoshido, the death of my mother... These events weren't set in motion by King Garon. Somewhere else, a powerful and ambitious force is manipulating us all."

Saizo closed his eyes in disbelief. "So that's it? An enemy we haven't heard of is the reason for this conflict? Sounds like the work of an active imagination. Nothing more." Saizo opened his white eye at Corrin. "Educate us then. Who is this mystery enemy?"

Corrin turned to face the ninja. "I'm sorry... I'm afraid I can't elaborate. Only that... A day will come when the skies above Nohr and Hoshido switch colors." Corrin looked to Yukimura. "If you need proof that what I say is true, meet me at Bottomless Canyon.

Orochi glared at him. "Do you think of us as fools?"

Corrin shook his head. "Absolutely not. I don't think that at all. I just… I'm sorry, but I can't say more."

Yukimura adjusted his glasses. "Well then… It seems this was a waste of our time. I've heard enough." He turned away from Corrin, facing an outlet from the courtyard into the fort itself. "Away with you."

Corrin nodded. "I understand your skepticism. Really, I do." He turned to his party members. "Let's go. We've told them what we wanted to say, but it's up to them to choose whether to believe us or not."

As Corrin stepped away from the Hoshidan forces, Sakura called out to him. "Wait, Brother! Please!"

Corrin turned back to look at him. "Sakura?"

Sakura clasped her rod in her hands. "Um… Please…t-take me with you! I'm not very good at fighting, but I'm sure I can find a way to help!"

Yukimura was stunned by this. "Lady Sakura, why are you-?!"

Sakura looked to him with a nervous look. "I'm sorry, Yukimura, but I believe that Corrin is telling the truth. We haven't spent much time together, but I can tell… I can tell by the look in his eyes… He isn't trying to trick us."

Yukimura sighed. "Lady Sakura… I didn't expect this. I don't know what to say right now…" Yukimura turned his saddened look into a smile. "I've been by your side since you were born. I can tell that your mind is made up. I won't try to stop you. Just…promise me that you'll be careful."

Sakura nodded in reply. "Th-thank you, Yukimura."

Kaze looked towards Saizo. "Brother, I would ask for your understanding. I would like to follow Lord Corrin on his mission."

Saizo frowned. "If you are certain, I won't stop you."

Kaze nodded, turning away from Saizo. "I am."

Corrin donned a smile as Kaze stepped towards him. "Thank you, Sakura, Kaze. Thank you for believing in me." Corrin then turned his attention to his party. "Let's head to our next destination…"

As Corrin's group left Fort Jinya, Kagero's words from the battle a few days ago returned to Saizo. "To protect him entirely, this battle needs to end before many casualties happen." On top of this, Sinon's words echoed immediately afterward. "You have every reason to kill me, but I have none to harm you." Saizo wondered why Sinon would have no reason to harm anyone, even to protect her master. He sighed, catching Orochi's attention.

"Something bothering you, Saizo?" the diviner inquired.

Saizo closed his eyes. "Just trying to wrap my head around something."

Orochi crossed her arms. "What brought this about?"

Saizo looked over at her. "A few days ago, Kagero said that the only way to protect Ryoma is to end the battle before too many lives are taken. Sinon told me that she had no reason to harm us. If what Sinon said is true, then we really are working for the same goal, but those in Hoshido may not be doing this the right way." He placed his fingers to his forehead. "I can't help but think that Kagero's words apply to all parties involved."

Orochi opened one of her fans. "For the prior battle?"

Saizo shook his head. "For the whole war."

Corrin's party kept up a good pace, making quite a bit of progress in the hour after leaving Fort Jinya. About thirty-minutes in, Corrin made sure that his allies understood they were only trying to put some distance between the citadel before returning to Fort Dragonia. Right at the hour mark, Corrin spied a nearby lake they were passing. The water caught his eye, splashing calmly against the sandy shore. The beautiful sight reminded him about meeting Azura for the first time. The memory caused him to stop walking entirely as he thought back fondly of the meeting. Deep down, her beauty had stunned him and her song captivated him back then.

Corrin sighed in reminiscence. "This lake…"

Sakura stepped up next to him. "Does it mean something to you, Corrin?"

Corrin nodded his head in reply. "This lake reminds me of where Aiko and I first met Azura." He closed his eyes with a smile spreading across his face. "So much happened in the short time since then…"

Sakura smiled. "Corrin…"

Corrin turned to his younger sister. "I'm sorry, Sakura. There's so much I want to tell you, but I can't. Not here…"

Sakura shook her head "It's all right, Corrin. I b-believe in you. I can tell that you're carrying a very heavy burden. If I can even do the smallest things to h-help you, then I…" Sakura bowed low towards Corrin. "I'll do whatever you need."

Corrin extended his hand. "No need to bow, Sakura. I'm just glad you believe in me."

Sakura blushed, leaping up and hugging Corrin. "I, uh, missed you."

Corrin was surprised at first, but he returned the hug. "I missed you too, Sakura."

The two embraced for a moment, before Sakura broke away, wiping away some tears from her eyes. "I'm s-sorry," she choked out. "I… I don't know what came over me."

"It's fine, I get it." Corrin noticed an unusual sound. "…Do you hear something? Is something coming this way?" Corrin looked upward, spotting a pegasus flying in with two passengers. "Wait, what the... Is that a pegasus? It's heading s-straight at us!"

Sakura followed his gaze upward. "What?!" She shrieked in surprise. "Ahhh!"

The pegasus pulled to a stop, flapping its wings gracefully as its red-haired rider called out. "Whew... We finally caught up with you, milady!"

Sakura was shocked by the voice. "Waaah! S-Subaki?"

As Subaki, the red-haired rider, directed his pegasus to land, a pink-clad samurai hopped off next to him. "Oh, Lady Sakura... Did you even realize that you'd left us behind? How could you!"

Sakura stepped back a bit. "Hana! Why are the two of you-?"

Hana crossed her arms, flashing a smile. "We received word from Yukimura. He told us that you left with Lord Corrin."

Sakura calmed down a bit. "Ahhh. Yukimura knew that I would need you two…"

Hana winked at her. "Heehee... Even if Yukimura hadn't told us...we would have searched day and night to figure out where you were and caught up!"

Subaki nodded. "Indeed, Lady Sakura. It is our duty, as retainers, to protect you and nothing will stop us. If you have somewhere to go, then it's only natural for us to accompany you. We will always support you."

Sakura bowed at them. "Thank you very much!"

Corrin scratched his head. "Um… Sakura, who are these two?"

Sakura turned around. "Oh! I'm sorry, Corrin. These are my retainers, Subaki and Hana. They're both very strong, kind, and they've p-protected me for years. They'll fight on our side. It'll be helpful to have such reliable friends."

Corrin returned their smiles with one of his own. "We need all the help we can get. Thank you, both of you."

Subaki nodded. "Of course. We'll carry out any mission flawlessly."

Hana took a quick bow. "To be honest, Lady Sakura will be my top priority, but I'll do my best to help!"

Saizo: You're late.

N-Sight: Sorry. It won't happen again.

Saizo: You said you'd finish this a while ago.

N-Sight: Indeed I did.

Saizo: So, how much have you written at this point?

N-Sight: I'm running another chapter by my editor. She'll have it back to me shortly.

Saizo: I hope you understand what you're doing.

N-Sight: Running a part-time YouTube channel, a Fanfiction page, working a part-time job, and going through intense training? Sometimes I have to bench some of these projects to keep the others on track.

Saizo: I should end you for your inability to manage your time sufficiently.

N-Sight: You're inside a work of writing, I'm the creator of said work. It won't work, buddy.

Saizo: You've got me there, but what about the attack on Mataras via Cordelia? Or your desperate attempt to run from "Sharp-Shot Sinon"?

N-Sight: Uh oh...

Sinon: YOU BACK-STABBING, MOTHER-GRABBING TRAITOR!

N-Sight: I'm outta here!

Sinon: NOT THIS TIME! GET BACK HERE!