Not too long since last time, right?

Actually, I've had a ton of free time these past two weeks. By taking a few hours each day, I managed to finish up this chapter and one for another story that came out last week. If you're following DOOM:GTOV, you just got the prior update at that time.

As for the stories I've put together, I've got a few additional updates I'm working on, but they'll be on a story-by-story basis. Overall, the three main stories will be getting a few updates here and there. Keep an eye out for them if you're still reading along.

Oh, yeah, as for the last chapter, there was one review in particular I noticed: Cy Man had a few concerns. I took his criticism into consideration, but I won't be doing an entire overhaul of that last chapter. In terms of this one, there won't be much of the SAO girls, but the chapter won't be the mission point for point, due to a few tweaks, dialogue changes, character substitutions, etc. Hope this works this time, Cy Man.

For now, just enjoy the show!

It was late in the afternoon, the day after Corrin had left Fort Jinya. The atmosphere within Fort Dragonia's Astral Plane was rather peaceful. Corrin was talking with Azura in his quarters, Jakob and Felicia were preparing the evening meal, Mozu was learning how to wield her lance more effectively with Gunter and Subaki, Hana and Yuzu were caring for the armory, and Kaze was sparring with Aiko and Yuuki, testing his ability to handle multiple opponents at once. Sinon had taken the time to teach Sakura the basics of archery to help expand her options should combat break out sooner rather than later.

As luck would have it, Sakura wasn't doing extremely well with her stance and she was barely able to hit the target. "This is harder than it looks," she said, lowering her bow after taking another shot.

Sinon smirked at her. "Yeah, it takes a lot of practice to tighten your accuracy. It's even harder in the middle of a fight."

Sakura sighed. "I don't understand how Takumi does it…"

Sinon reached for a nearby arrow. "Tightening his focus?"

Sakura nodded in reply. "Something like that…"

Sinon sighed. "You know, I still remember when I couldn't hit my targets. Turns out staying calm helps a lot more than you think."

Sakura looked at her shyly. "Really?"

Sinon nodded. "Watch closely."

Sinon furrowed her brow, drumming up angry thoughts and clouding her mind as much as possible. In her brief rage, she drew an arrow hastily, her hands shaking with her wrathful thoughts. She released her arrow, sending it flying into the target, just on the outer ring.

Sakura was shocked. "D-Did you mean to send it into the outer ring?"

Sinon let out a deep breath, releasing her pseudo-wrathful state. "No, I was aiming to score a bullseye, but my lack of concentration and wild emotions lead to a hastily made shot."

Sinon drew another arrow. "If you calm yourself," She let out a deep breath. "And you don't focus on your emotions," Sinon closed her eyes. "Your focus can tighten easier than you think."

Without opening her eyes, Sinon released the arrow, sending it flying into the target, piercing the exact center of the bullseye marker. Sakura was amazed by the improved accuracy and tightened focus just from staying calm. The hoshidan princess smiled at what she saw, but she was slightly concerned at her own ability to match up.

Sakura held her bow tightly. "So, just by calming down, you were able to hit the target without looking?"

Sinon turned to the youthful princess with a small smile. "Well, the blinded shot was a bit of a trick I had to take time mastering, but the point I was trying to make was about freeing your emotional shackles."

Sakura frowned slightly. "It makes sense, but how c-can I try it?"

Sinon closed her eyes. "I think that what makes you tense up is your nervousness. Tell me, what do you think is your fear of others?"

Sakura looked down. "I'm not s-sure, but I don't know what to s-say."

Sinon snapped her eyes open as a solution clicked. "So that's what it is. While I can't exactly help you overcome this, I can guide you to helping you to forget about it, albeit momentarily."

Sinon handed Sakura an arrow. "Go ahead and take aim, but this time, try to clear your mind. Don't think about anything else, except for the target."

Sakura drew back her yumi. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. She opened her eyes, aiming down the arrow's shaft towards the target. Her breath became steadier than before, allowing her focus to become much more concentrated. Her eyes glistened with determination, locked directly onto the target's bullseye. All the while, her senses let her know about the wind's slow movement, slight motions of Sinon's cape, and even the slight rustling of the water in the canals nearby. Sakura almost lost her focus when she realized the power behind it, but she noticed it slipping, so she closed her eyes again to calm down. Opening her eyes once more, she corrected her aim, let out a deep breath, and released the string on the yumi.

Sakura's arrows flew down the archery range, landing directly in the ring just outside the bullseye, making its mark just next to Sinon's arrow. Sakura was astounded by her own accuracy, her mouth hanging open in awe and amazement. Enthusiastic claps were the reply she got from Sinon.

"Bravo," she applauded. "Your accuracy improved tenfold."

Sakura turned to face Sinon. "Th-Thank you. It was hard at first, but your advice helped me."

Sinon nodded. "Well, it may have helped for a beginner's lesson, but you'll need some practice to learn how to maintain that focused state." Sinon placed her hand on the princess's shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much, Sakura. I was the exact same way starting out."

Sakura smiled back at her. "Then I'll keep doing what I can to get stronger."

At that moment, something whistled through the air as it rushed towards them. Sinon spotted it closing in and moved in to grab it from the air. It was a common arrow, but it was from far away, nonetheless. Sinon twirled the arrow in her fingertips, setting it to the bowstring, drawing back, then letting it fly back the way it came. The arrow sunk into something, and said figure fell forward, coming into view. It was a violet-clad ninja, not of the same Hoshidan style that Kaze and Saizo were a part of.

Sinon grimaced. "Invaders."

It didn't take long for Corrin to assemble everyone together. In all honesty, they kind of just assembled due to the invasion on its own. Corrin had simple orders prepared:

"Everyone partner up and stay defensive. Don't go out on your own."

As soon as he said this, a mysterious portal opened up in the center of the courtyard, catching everyone's eyes. A few of their mysterious opponents rushed towards it and jumped into it, weapons drawn and everything.

Corrin frowned at that movement. "Nevermind, new orders! Azura, Hana, Subaki, Sakura, follow me into the portal. Everyone else, do what you can to protect the grounds here."

Aiko held up her hand. "Not that I doubt your words, but is this wise, Lord Corrin?"

Corrin nodded. "I'll only be taking a few of us into the portal, while the rest of you will be here. We don't know what's beyond that portal, but it may in fact be another world that needs our help."

Aiko nodded in reply. "Then you can count on us to hold the fort!"

Corrin nodded over to Sinon. "I'm leaving Sinon in charge until I get back."

Immediately, Corrin, Subaki, Hana, Azura, and Sakura rushed forward towards the portal. As they did so, Sinon readied a fiery arrow, aiming it across the courtyard. Ahead of them were a force of enemies numbering at just under fifty. In terms of offense, Sinon was able to clear out as many as she could without consequence, but she'd need to be careful about the structures of Fort Dragonia suffering damage.

"Aiko, Yuuki, hold the east." Sinon ordered. "Felicia, Jakob, take the south. Kaze, Yuzu, can I trust you two with the west?"

Kaze nodded. "Absolutely."

Sinon nodded. "Then Mozu and I will hold the space between the portal and the throne. If any get past you, alert us and we'll take them out."

The reply was a chorus of combatants chiming in. "RIGHT!"

Corrin and his party exited the portal, taking in their newfound surroundings with caution. Nothing was familiar to them, with shrubbery not being native to either Hoshido or Nohr, roadways being less familiar, and even the grass being a slightly different shade of green. Corrin held the Yato carefully, but his eyes scanned the area around him. Finally, he noticed a signpost.

Azura stepped closer and read it aloud. "To Southtown and Ylisstol, Capital of Ylisse?"

"Hey," a voice responded from Azura's side. "Do you need any help?"

Azura jolted in shock. "Ah!"

Corrin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Azura."

The voice's source, a blue-haired man dressed in blue and silver armor, chuckled a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You seemed like you were lost."

A light-blue armored knight with brown hair stepped forward. "Milord, I don't believe I've seen their attire before. It looks almost entirely foreign."

A blonde-haired cleric betwixt them snapped her fingers. "Oh! You're travelers, aren't you? That would make a lot of sense."

Corrin frowned. "Forgive me, but who are you all?"

The blue-haired man nodded. "Right, I suppose we should introduce ourselves. My name is Chrom and I'm the Captain of the Shepherds." He gestured to the cleric. "The delicate one is my younger sister, Lissa."

Lissa seemed angered by this. "Who are you calling 'Delicate'?" She smiled as she turned towards Azura. "Pay my brother no mind. He can be thick at times."

Azura returned the smile. "He's just being modest."

Chrom gestured to the stoic knight astride them. "And this here is Frederick, my faithful knight."

Frederick placed his fist to his chestplate. "I serve at his side and am his second in command. The pleasure is mine."

Corrin nodded. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Corrin. This here is Azura, as well as my sister Sakura and her two retainers, Hana and Subaki."

Sakura stepped forward. "I-It's nice to m-meet you."

Chrom smiled at them. "Well it's certainly nice to meet you all as well." He focused on Corrin specifically. "Now, what brings you all through this area today?"

Corrin remembered the shadowy figures. "We're here looking for something… unusual, to say the least. Have you noticed anything strange happening nearby? Maybe seen some warriors, nearly invisible?"

Azura tapped him on the shoulder. "You do realize how suspicious that sounds, right?"

Chrom's expression fell to one of concern. "I'm sorry, invisible warriors?"

Frederick mentally panicked. "The Halidom's being invaded!? They could be from Plegia…"

Corrin realized his error. "I'm sorry, I mean, uh, how do I explain this… We're from another land entirely, chasing down a group that got away from us."

Frederick scoffed at him. "And they are invisible soldiers? How do you even know they got away from you?"

Azura stepped forward. "They're nearly invisible, but they tend to cloak them in a violet mist. They've caused us a lot of trouble in the past."

Chrom nodded. "I understand. We'll keep our eyes out for them, but maybe it would be better if you came along with us? We might find them faster that way."

Corrin smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate your help."

Hana stepped up next to Sakura. "I'll be right here, My Lady, in case you need help."

Lissa caught wind of that remark. "My Lady? Do you happen to be a Princess from somewhere?"

Sakura clutched her rod. "No, I mean, yes! I mean, uh…"

Chrom tried to stifle a chuckle. "It's alright. I understand not wanting to reveal your identities right away. I, myself, am Prince of Ylisse."

Corrin looked him over. "It would explain the silver armor quite nicely, but didn't you say you were the 'Captain of the Shepherds'?"

Chrom nodded. "It's a symbolic name. The Shepherds serve as the main Militia of Ylisse during eras of peace."

Frederick frowned at Corrin. "If Lady Sakura is indeed a princess, then what are you doing as the leader of your party?"

Corrin scratched his head. "Uh, it might be hard to understand, but Azura, Sakura, and I are all royalty from Hoshido."

Chrom's interest was piqued. "The mythical kingdom of Hoshido? The same one at war with Nohr in the legends?"

Corrin frowned. "Wait, 'Mythical'?"

Subaki exclaimed as he pointed something down the road. "Lord Corrin! The invaders have been spotted, heading up the road!"

Corrin nodded. "Let's go then! We can't let these things get much farther!"

Before Chrom, Frederick, or Lissa could argue, the Hoshidans took off down the path. "Wait!" Chrom called out. "Well, Frederick, it looks like we've got another objective for us."

Frederick nodded, whistling for his mighty steed. "Let's follow them closely. The sooner we can help them, the sooner Ylisse will be safe."

Back at Fort Dragonia, the crew managed to hold up really well. Sinon's arrows managed to keep stragglers from getting very far in, Mozu had taken down the single unit that managed to get too close, and the rest of them had managed to decimate nearly the entirety of the opposing legion. As for the remaining opponents, there appeared to be only seven left, including the reinforcements that swarmed in right after Corrin jumped through the portal. At the moment, it looked like the worst was over.

It was at this time that Sinon fired her last physical arrow into an inbound Wyvern Rider. "I need a status report," she called out, hoping that Lilith would respond.

"I'm right here," Lilith calmly stated from behind Sinon. "In regards to our side, no major injuries or casualties have been inflicted."

Sinon sighed in relief. "And how many enemies are left?"

Lilith glanced towards the eastern gate. "It looks like there are only two left. The twins should be finishing up right about…" Two heads were sent flying upward into the sky. "And we've defeated them all."

Sinon nodded. "Thank you, Lilith."

Lilith floated up next to her. "What about Lord Corrin?"

Sinon focused her eyes on the portal. "We need to make sure that the portal stays open for him and that no unwanted visitors jump through it."

Lilith closed her eyes. "I can do that with ease. Just leave it to me."

Finally reaching a clearing, Corrin spotted the same figures that attacked Fort Dragonia. There were roughly sixty of them, all sporting garbs of ninja, samurai, spear fighters, and oni savages. Corrin looked them over, trying to discern a possible strategy to minimize their risk and capitalize on their position.

Azura noticed his expression's hardened look. "Do you need help figuring out a strategy?"

Corrin nodded. "Maybe. I've gotten by without too much trouble thanks to Sinon, Aiko, and Yuuki, but now that they aren't with us, I feel like I'm fighting with a handicap."

Azura shook her head. "That's not it at all. You were actually holding back before. Now, you have a chance to test your limits."

Corrin looked at his sword and his dragonstone. "I could try out new techniques…"

Azura placed her hand over his stone. "Don't just think about your own strengths." She extended her other arm towards Sakura and her retainers. "You have others you can rely on, Corrin."

Corrin smiled at her. "Understood." He looked to his other companions. "Hana, stay close to Sakura. Subaki, stay with Azura." Looking back to his partner, "Azura, can you keep supporting Subaki?"

Azura nodded. "Of course."

Corrin readied the Yato. "Battle stations everyone. Stay together and act defensively."

"As for us?" a familiar voice called out.

Corrin turned around to see Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick arrive, appearing from the dense forest behind them. "Chrom!? This isn't your fight!"

Frederick twirled his lance above his head. "Nonsense. This is our homeland. Naturally, we're sworn to defend it."

Lissa smiled at him, holding a staff in front of her. "You can't just tell us about some invisible soldiers you're fighting then just say we can't help!"

Chrom twirled his sword in hand. "Just let us know how we can help in this fight."

Corrin sighed in relief. "Well, this makes things easier." He nodded at Frederick. "Frederick, pair up with Lissa and keep her moving. Chrom, stay close to me while we take the front."

Chrom nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Corrin frowned at him. "Well, you're going to have to adapt rather quickly."

Before Chrom could ask why, Corrin activated his dragonstone, forming a mask over his face, wings out of his back, and would allow his left arm to change into either a lance or a set of jaws, if he desired it. Chrom was astounded by what he saw, but composed himself when he heard the echoed voice of Corrin.

"ONWARD!" he roared.

Chrom shook away the shock as he rushed in behind Corrin. The dragonkin landed his first slash against an enclosing ninja, knocking the shuriken wielder off balance. Corrin flapped his wings, flipping backward over Chrom, who ran the ninja through with his sword. Chrom then knocked the ninja backward into another that stood just behind it. Chrom stepped back to the side, letting Corrin rush forward and fire a burst of water from the dragon jaws on his left arm. The blast landed on the second ninja's head, knocking the ninja backward in the process. Chrom noticed the first ninja getting up again, tossing a shuriken at Corrin, who had left himself open.

"Look out, Corrin!" Chrom called out as he leaped forward.

Chrom was barely able to land in front of Corrin, both managing to block the shuriken with his blade and startle Corrin in the process. Corrin changed his left arm into an extended dragonlance, thrusting it forward as the ninja advanced and impaling the shadowy figure's head.

Corrin retracted the lance. "Thank you, Chrom."

Chrom frowned, not turning away from the enemies ahead. "Just stay focused and try being a little more defensive."

The two rushed forward again, continuing their combined assault. Just behind them, Frederick rushed forward on his steed, impaling the closest spear fighter on his lance. Lissa wasn't able to help too much, due to her lack of combat experience, but she was able to get eyes on the field as a whole while Frederick could focus on the area around him.

Back even farther along the path, Hana had locked blades with another samurai, desperately trying to overpower the other. In her tightened focus, she didn't see another samurai closing in on Sakura. Hana finally threw off her opponent, but turned back as the second samurai reached Sakura, readying a strike.

"Lady Sakura!" Hana called out.

Before she could step up to save her charge, an arrow went straight through the head of the samurai, exiting out the back. The samurai fell, revealing Sakura standing with a Spellbane Yumi in hand, a quiver of arrows on her back, and an arrow in her other hand. One look was all it took for Hana to understand what happened.

"Lady Sakura?" Hana asked. "What-"

"Well," Sakura smiled shyly. "Sinon helped me earlier."

Hana sighed in relief. "Just stay close, Lady Sakura."

In the end, Sakura did just that. Hana was adamant on providing support against foes who were too close for Sakura, while Sakura's arrows made marks wherever possible, though her accuracy wasn't completely perfect. Turns out, Sakura managed to do quite a lot of support. Though she only had a small quiver of arrows, totaling about thirty arrows total, she managed to land almost all of her arrows in an enemy's arm, chest, or head.

Towards the end of the fight, Corrin and Chrom had cornered the 'leader' while Frederick, Subaki, and Azura had rounded up the remaining two oni savages. Chrom readied Falchion for a close fight as Corrin prepared to intercept any incoming attacks. The Oni Chieftain was the first to move, tossing his axe at the Ylissean Prince. Chrom side-stepped the hurdling weapon, leaving Corrin to knock it out of the air with the Yato. Chrom stepped up, the distance between him and the opponent now close enough for Chrom to kick. Chrom slashed upward twice, brought the blade horizontally back to his left side, then slashed horizontally across the Chieftain's arm. Corrin leaped over him, landing behind Chrom's opponent. Both Prince's brought their swords slashing through the Oni Chieftain, severing it in two and sending it disappearing in a puff of smoke.

With the battle now over, Corrin deactivated his semi-dragon form. "Ah, that worked out pretty well."

Chrom smiled as he sheathed Falchion. "We have you five to thank for that."

Corrin turned to address the Ylissean Prince. "Not at all. It's all thanks to you three that we managed to take care of them."

Chrom shook his head. "We were doing our duty protecting the people here. As for you, Frederick could probably attest to your skills."

Frederick dismounted from his steed, helping Lissa down. "By my count, Lord Chrom had six kills, while I had nearly ten. From what I saw, Lady Sakura took down eight and weakened nine others, Hana took down ten, Lady Azura and Subaki had nine combined, and Prince Corrin had almost seventeen all on his own."

Lissa smiled at him. "You seriously managed to see all of those?"

Frederick nodded. "Remember, My Lady, that I have trained myself in order to take every detail into account."

Corrin was amazed by Frederick's memory. "Truly outstanding."

Chrom nodded. "It only means that everyone with you trusts you with their lives." He smirked at Corrin. "Besides that, your dragon abilities are intriguing."

Corrin sighed. "It's just something special I can do."

Chrom held his sheathed sword in the other hand. "By the way, you mentioned you were royalty, right?"

Corrin smiled. "Yes, I am."

Chrom continued. "As I mentioned before, I am also royalty. I happen to be the Prince of Ylisse."

Corrin frowned. "Wait, isn't it dangerous for you to be out here on patrols?"

Frederick stepped up. "No less dangerous than it is for you to be out hunting these warriors in unknown lands."

Corrin sighed. "I guess you have a fair point."

Chrom chuckled. "Regardless, you have my sincere gratitude."

Azura stepped up next to Corrin. "Not at all. We were the ones who dragged you into this fight."

"These things attack without warning," Corrin warned. "Truth be told, we just defended our own home against them not too long ago."

Chrom's expression fell slightly. "Corrin, it must be rough, back where you're from. I have no idea either way." Chrom pulled out two items. "Here, take these with you. It's the least I can do to thank you."

Corrin looked over the two items. One of them was a golden shield, just big enough to cover someone's hand, with five multi-colored stones embedded in it. The other was a blue shield, roughly the same size, designed to resemble the Lucina Butterfly of Ylisse.

Lissa had an opposing opinion. "But, Chrom, those are-"

Chrom nodded. "The Hero's Brand and the Exalt's Brand that Emmeryn gave me."

Frederick frowned. "Milord. Are you certain? These two gifts are valuable items worthy of being Ylissean Royal Treasures."

Corrin was caught off guard by this. "What!? I can't accept this, Chrom. That's being too generous."

Chrom shook his head. "I understand their true value, but I have a feeling you would have more use for them along your journey." Chrom closed his eyes. "You risked your life to save our citizens and our lives in the process." He opened his eyes, revealing his radiating confidence. "Honestly, your resolve and willingness to put others' safety above your own has moved me. I want to show how much I appreciated your actions today. Please, take them."

"Chrom," Corrin replied. "Thank you. I'll use them well."

Frederick crossed his arms. "I suppose there's no use talking him out of this." He pulled something out of his belt. "Allow me to give you something as well."

Azura accepted the item as Frederick handed it to her. "Is this…a pebble?"

Frederick nodded. "Yes. I find them and remove them from My Lord's path whenever we travel, to prevent any chance of them tripping along the way. I have a strange feeling that this one may help you out."

Corrin took it from Azura. "Thank you, Frederick." As he turned it over in his hand, he noted its shape: smooth, aerodynamic, and balanced. "I'll find a use for it."

Sakura nervously stepped up. "C-Corrin, should we b-be heading back?"

Corrin nodded. "We should. Chrom, thank you again for helping us. It was nice to meet you three."

Chrom smiled. "Likewise, Corrin. If you ever get the chance, come and visit us sometime. I'd like to talk more with you about our two kingdoms."

Corrin returned the gesture. "I'm sure we'll meet again, Chrom. Just hold onto what you believe in."

Chrom winked at him. "I will. Take care, Prince Corrin."

As Corrin and his party left back the way they came, heading south along the roadway, Lissa was contemplating their encounter. "They were certainly a strong and lively bunch. It's kind of hard to believe that he's a prince from where he comes from."

Chrom nodded. "I suppose so, but he seemed to be a kind and honest man." He crossed his arms. "What I don't get is how he's both royalty and a manakete."

Frederick shook his head. "I suppose this meeting was an adventure in itself. It's not everyday you meet someone who is part dragon."

Chrom frowned. "Something tells me that we've only just begun to see the strangest things of this world. I'm curious as to what we'll see in the future."

Before Frederick could offer a reply, Chrom noticed someone nearby. "Wait, has someone passed out over there?"

They wasted no time reaching the downed traveler, Lissa immediately looking him over. "Poor young man," she commented, looking the man over. "He looks so helpless."

Chrom got a chance to get a good look at the man's appearance. He was wearing a dark robe with purple markings along the sides that reached down to his boots. His baggy pants were tucked into his leather boots, which had wide brims that were folded down on the outside. Chrom was slightly intrigued by the man's face, which seemed to be young enough to be his age, but also mature enough to merit experience. His silver hair was unkempt, despite its short length and lack of adornments.

Chrom nodded as he looked the traveler over. "It doesn't make any sense. He wasn't caught up in our prior battle, was he?"

Frederick shook his head. "We were far enough away from here when we helped Prince Corrin defeat those… creatures."

Chrom frowned. "Then, what could have happened?"

"Chrom," Lissa commented. "We have to do something."

The Ylissean Prince gave his sister a concerned look. "What do you propose we do?"

Lissa returned the glance. "I… I dunno…"

At that moment, their patient groaned slightly, his eyes opening up slowly.

This caught Chrom's attention. "Ah, I see you're awake now."

The stranger looked to Lissa as she crouched slightly. "Hey there."

Chrom smirked at the newly awakened individual. "There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know." He extended his right arm. "Give me your hand."

The dark robed man took it, allowing the leader of the Shepherds to pull him to his feet. Little did either of them know the adventure that lay before them. The time ahead of them was filled with intriguing characters, tragedy, romance, turnabouts, and a series of incursions unlike anything the duo could have possibly imagined. However, that's a story for another time.

N-Sight: And that's a wrap!

Lyn:(Points Sol Katti at N-Sight) Hold your horses, N-Sight.

N-Sight: Ugh, what did I do this time?

Lyn: You've ignored your Chekhov's gun.

N-Sight: This endslate is getting too meta.

Lyn: Still, you're ignoring us.

N-Sight: Alright! You're up!

Lyn:(Sheathes blade) There. Cy Man's still pissed at the endslate not being an author's note.

N-Sight: His loss, my habit, don't want to kick it. Also, the "Author's Notes" are usually my opening segment.

Lyn: Doesn't change the fact that he's pissed.

N-Sight: Hey! I tried!