Corrin had been haunted by the voices of ghosts in the past, but now that there was one standing before him, he was petrified.

There was no doubt in his mind—this was Setsuna. That same teal hair and familiar relaxed look in her eyes were all the confirmation he needed. His lost first love had been returned to him in this mysterious land, and here she was with an arrow trained on his skull. A million questions bounced around in his mind. How was she alive? Why was she in Valla? Why was she attacking him? He had to have been under some sort of illusionary spell cast by the Silent Dragon himself. Setsuna was a kind and amicable soul who would never raise her weapon on someone she considered a friend. What was happening was impossible.

"Snap out of it, damn it!"

The prince blinked, and suddenly, there was an arrow encased in a barrier of ice barely a finger's length from his face. Icy mist emanated from Kamui's hands as she looked at him with imperative eyes.

"It's just a trick, don't let yourself be deceived!" she called before taking off towards the assailant, long strides nearly closing the distance in no time at all. Before she could reach, however, her path was impeded by an armored soldier materializing before her and swinging its blade against her own. The soldier's image was fleeting like the mirage of a desert oasis, though very much physically present.

"Trick?" Setsuna asked with a tilt of her head, lowering her bow only to raise one hand. "Sorry, but that's not exactly right. This is all really happening and I'm really here. Hey, guys, it's been a while. Some new faces, though…" She snapped her fingers, summoning dozens upon dozens of phantasms donning foreign armor and wielding wicked weapons to the field.

Corrin had to choke out his words. "H-how are you here?! Why are you attacking us?!"

Setsuna placed a finger on her chin and hummed for a moment, musing on the questions. "Um…it's complicated, and I don't really know the answer to that second question. I just sort of have to, I guess. Sorry."

As he and Kamui's cavalry spilled out from the doorways to the Astral Plane, Corrin heard Hinoka scream and call out Setsuna's name. His attention usually would have been drawn by such a thing, but now, he was beginning to slip back into his trance. He only stopped staring at his old lover when he felt his current one squeeze his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin.

"Corrin, I know how you must be feeling right now, however, this is not the time to stand idle. We can discuss this later, but for now, we must fight," she said, staring into his eyes. Heeding his wife's words, Corrin stilled his trembling hand by balling it into a fist and letting out a shaky breath. For as many questions as he had, there were people counting on him here and now, and he could not very well ignore such a thing. The prince steeled his nerve and readied his blade, kicking off and running into the fray of battle.

The thing Corrin noticed first about his enemies were that they were diverse. The opposing force was composed of men and women of all ages wielding various types of weaponry, from katanas and longswords to naginata and battleaxes. He had expected the warriors of Valla to use weapons that would be unique to their nation, though it appeared that they utilized a melange of Hoshidan and Nohrian arms. The second thing he noticed was that while ethereal in appearance, his adversaries were most certainly tangible. Weapons did not harmlessly pass through them, instead lodging themselves in their body just as they would a normal human being. Corrin watched as Jakob plunged his dagger into the throat of an assailant and promptly severed the jugular. Upon collapsing, the man dissipated into mist—weapons, armor and all—until there was no trace of him left. There was not a drop of blood to be found on Jakob's silver blade.

Corrin let out a battlecry and slammed the Blazing Yato into the large glaive of a hulking

enemy who gave a beastly roar in response before retaliating, almost bringing his weapon down on Corrin's head. The prince deftly dove to the side and slashed at the back of the man's knee, causing him to kneel down and wince in pain. Just as Corrin drew back in preparation to drive his sword into the man's side, his arm was seized by a woman just as burly as the man he was about to kill. He was pulled from his feet and slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of him and making black spots flicker across his vision. The woman raised her ax overhead with a deep scowl only for her body to suddenly be filled with dozens of sharpened splinters of wood, one such sliver having pierced her heart. Just as she began to fall, her form dissolved and revealed a slender blonde boy standing behind with a dense tome in hand—Forrest. He smiled at his uncle and wagged a finger.

"Keep those senses sharp, Uncle Corrin!" he advised. "Kamui would've never been caught from the back like that. You're not going to let her outdo you, are you?"

Corrin opened his mouth to retort, but his attention was suddenly brought over to the man he had crippled moments before as a familiar voice let out a grunt of effort. He turned his head to see his youngest daughter force her shortsword into the man's back and draw it down in a jagged line, the man giving a final bloodcurdling scream before fading away. Kara glowered at Forrest as she assumed a fighting stance.

"You watch your mouth! How dare you make fun of my Papa?!" she spat.

"Hey, hey, relax, Kara! He was only joking," Corrin assured her, rising to his feet and giving both children a reassuring smile. "He's a friend, not an enemy, remember?"

The young girl pouted and turned her head away from Forrest. "Hmph! Dumb Nohrian doesn't know anything about you…" she muttered before running off towards the next enemy, fighting with all the vigor and furiosity of an angered wyvern. Corrin wanted to apologize to his nephew on behalf of his daughter, but when he turned to address him, Forrest was already heading off to convene with the Wolfskin girl. Her name…what was her name? He sighed. He had barely gotten to know any of his newfound family members during their brief stay at Castle Shirasagi and now here he was fighting alongside them. Hopefully they would be more familiar by the end of this journey.

Corrin briefly looked around to survey the area and noted that while the ethereal enemies had appeared to be numerous at first, they were quickly dwindling. It seemed that the combined strength of Hoshido and Nohr's best was overwhelming. Opting to secure victory as soon as possible, Corrin maneuvered through the enemy army like a serpent through grass, utilizing both the Blazing Yato and the dagger at his side to dispatch them one by one. He would have his blade buried in the neck of one before the last one even hit the ground. Though he was having no issue dealing with the horde of enemies in his path, there was one in particular he had his sights locked onto.

Setsuna—just as she had always done when she were alive—kept her distance from friend and foe alike, leaping through the air to avoid any stray projectiles heading her way all the while sending a volley of arrows at anyone she found a clear shot on. It was then that Corrin noticed that the weapon she wielded was the same one she always used in the years leading up to her death, a bow whose limbs were made of a pair of sharp curved blades joined together in the middle by a leather handle. His heart ached at the sight. He remembered the day that she had received the bow custom-made by a blacksmith from Shirasagi who was eager to craft a weapon for someone of her status. Setsuna was someone who rarely emoted in the way that most people did, but when she let loose that first arrow and sank it deep into the trunk of a tree near Corrin's home, she nearly jumped for joy. It was a cherished memory, one that the prince wished to hold onto forever.

"Feeling nostalgic?"

Corrin spun around and relieved an oncoming spearman of his head before looking to his other half. "When did you get here?"

"I've been calling your name for the past ten seconds; you're letting her distract you." Kamui erected a wall of ice to block the swing of a sword, then forcing her arm forward. The structure advanced before collapsing around her assailant, encasing him in a block of ice that promptly shattered into a million twinkling particles of diamond dust. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. This is a battlefield—"

"I don't need you to lecture me!" Corrin spat. He swatted away a nearby archer with such force that they dissipated into the air the instant they slammed into the dirt. "I know what I'm doing. I've been just fine without you for half a decade, haven't I?"

A pang of hurt flashed in Kamui's eyes, though one that was quickly masked by a frustrated huff. For a moment, guilt began to creep up on the prince before his attention was caught by the sound of another sister crying out in distress. His head snapped to the direction from which the scream came and through the steadily dwindling mass of ghostly soldiers witnessed Hinoka being violently pulled from her mount by the hulking hand of a being nearly twice her size. The armored soldier flung her to the ground and raised its massive fists in preparation to bring them down on her, roaring as it went.

Corrin took in his surroundings in an instant. The only ally near enough to Hinoka to do anything at the moment was Sakura, who stood terrified as a man with an axe whose blade dwarfed the small girl encroached on her. Without a second thought, the prince spread his wings and kicked off of the ground, flying as fast as he could towards both of them. Time seemed to slow down as they grew closer and closer, but as the moments ticked by, the grim realization dawned on him that he would not be able to reach before Hinoka was crushed beneath the weight of the giant's palms. All he could do was will himself to accelerate, his eyes watering from the wind rushing into them, and for a moment, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Corrin's eyes widened upon seeing Kamui suddenly appear before Hinoka in a flash of light that somehow appeared black—as if she had torn through space itself to get there. She stumbled for a moment, dazed, only to have the giant's fists collide with the top of her skull and send her face first into the ground. Though he was baffled as to how she managed to warp ahead of him, Corrin was grateful, for it bought him all the time he needed to cut clean through the goliath's chest before folding in his wings and flipping through the air, stabbing the enemy encroaching on his little sister through the heart. Both promptly faded away into nothingness.

"Kamui!" Sakura cried, dropping to her knees and taking the woman into her arms. Blood was seeping into her hair and her face was covered in dirt, though her eyes were still half open, looking up at the visage of the angelic Hoshidan princess. "D-don't worry, I've got you!"

As Sakura laid her hands glowing yellow on Kamui's head, Corrin pulled Hinoka to her feet. She took hold of her naginata and stared down at her younger sister with her brow knit and her lips tightly pursed, her expression steadfast.

Corrin exhaled in relief. "Did you just…teleport?"

Kamui groaned, weakly raising her arm and holding out her thumb as a small smile crept across her face. "Magic is…an amazing thing. Still have…to practice…that one more."

He chuckled at the response, though his laughter was cut abruptly short by Kamui snapping her fingers and letting a single spark fly, setting off a small explosion that sent the two approaching soldiers flying through the air. With a grunt of effort, Kamui pushed off of the ground and rose to her feet, wincing in pain as she went.

"I'm not done yet! Kamui, you're still hurt," Sakura said with pleading eyes.

"I'm fine," Kamui asserted, though her trembling legs showed that her balance was off. "No time to lay around. Corrin." She turned and looked her brother in the eyes. "Setsuna. She summoned all of these guys, yeah? We'll keep cutting them down. Can you go to her and see if you can cut this battle short?"

A part of him wanted to lash out at her for ordering him around, but he held his tongue. It was no demand, but rather a question of ability. He nodded in affirmation.

"Got it. Keep each other safe, please."

With that, Corrin took off and began flying towards her just above the sea of enemies while slicing through anyone he was able to. In no time at all, his target was in sight. Setsuna noticed his rapid approach and her mouth curled into a smirk as she drew an arrow, nocked it, and fired in one fluid motion. Though he was able to dodge it simply by leaning one way, Corrin gritted his teeth in pain. Setsuna— his Setsuna—was attacking him, and for what? Why was she working for Anankos? The questions burned in his mind and only served to fuel his frustration.

He landed into a sprint, closing the distance between him and his former flame in no time. Though she swung her blades at him with no hesitation, he parried each slash while gazing into her eyes.

"Setsuna, talk to me! Don't you remember? It's me, Corrin!"

"I know." Another swing of her blades, another attack deflected. "But I have to stop you. Sorry."

"Why?!"

Setsuna momentarily paused her onslaught and stared, nonplussed.

"What happened to your eyes?"

"What?"

"Your eyes. The whites aren't white anymore. They're purple."

Panting, all Corrin could do was stare in return. It was ridiculous. His dead best friend who had been trying to kill him not five seconds ago had stopped in order to ask him why his eyes had changed. Gods, that was just like Setsuna. He relaxed his shoulders, blinked, and took a breath.

"It was Anankos' control. He got ahold of me, but I was able to—"

He cried out in pain and dropped to one knee the next moment, clutching at the arrow that had buried itself in his leg. Of course she had retained her uncanny ability to move without anyone noticing. Looking up, Corrin found that she had another arrow poised right between his eyes and not a shred of emotion on her face.

"I know," she said. "I have a general idea about how things have gone since I died. No idea how. Anyway, sorry about this."

Setsuna had tricked him…she truly was dead set on killing him, wasn't she? This was no dream or illusion, but reality. There was no time to dwell, however. Corrin was fully prepared to transform into a dragon in order to avoid being skewered through the head, though luckily he did not have to do so. Hinoka came crashing down from the sky like a meteor, slamming into Setsuna and sending her arrow flying unstably through the air. Azama quickly joined them, not wasting any time and immediately starting to tend to Corrin's leg.

"Damn it, Setsuna!" Hinoka screamed with a shaky voice, the grip on her naginata so tight that her hand trembled. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Who's controlling you?!"

"Ugh…" The archer stumbled to her feet and pressed a hand into her bleeding forehead, looking only slightly annoyed. "No one's controlling me, I already said so. This is just…what I have to do."

"And do you know why that's so? If you can't give us a straight answer, then obviously you're being controlled, idiot," Azama said as he yanked the arrow free from Corrin's leg and pressed his palm into the resulting wound, wreathing it with green energy. He had insulted her countless times in their time together, though this one was much harsher. There was a vitriol behind it that no one had ever heard before.

Setsuna frowned. "I really don't know, I promise. I'll probably stop if you kill me, but I don't know if I'll come back or what."

"We're not doing that," Corrin said, wincing in pain while Azama's magic flowed into his limb. "Setsuna, just call off these soldiers before someone ends up getting hurt or worse. Can't you see that you're attacking the people you used to call your friends?"

"I know," Setsuna sighed and drew another arrow. "Man, you guys are making this really hard. Can't you just let me do what I have to do?"

Before she could draw back the bowstring, Hinoka shoved her naginata through it and the limb before jerking it up and away, sending the weapon flying through the air. She pressed the cold steel against her old retainer's neck and kept it there as she dismounted her pegasus, not once breaking eye contact.

"Call them off, Setsuna. You're done."

The archer looked up and hummed. "Does this count as a defeat…?" she mumbled to herself. After a moment's thought, she closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm done."

With a snap of her fingers, the usual chorus of war came to an abrupt end as the few dozen ethereal soldiers that remained dissipated into mist, weapons and armor and all. Confusion broke out among the allies, though naturally, Ryoma was able to call them all to attention with a single shout.

"It really is good to see you guys again, though, even though the circumstances could be better. How've you been?"

Lip quivering, Hinoka promptly tossed aside her naginata and burst into tears as she threw her arms around the woman and pulled her into a tight hug. Corrin stood once Azama was finished with him and both men stared at a sight they had thought would never again be possible.

"Aw, look at you being all mushy. That's unlike you," Setsuna said as she ran her hand down her old friend's back, a small smile on her face. "Seriously, though, I can't breathe. Just because I'm already dead doesn't mean that you can suffocate me and get away with it."

Hinoka released her old retainer and palmed away the tears staining her face, struggling to find words as more and more of their allies convened around them. The Nohrians were mostly confused while those from Hoshido held various expressions, ranging from elation to bafflement to sorrow. Still, the eldest Hoshidan princess looked at the ghost before her with a wide smile.

"How is this possible? I buried you myself. Is this the work of a god?"

"Yes, actually." Setsuna stretched her arms and massaged her neck, wincing. "Man, I'm tense. Mm…yeah, it'd probably be a good idea to explain to you guys what's going on, huh?"

"That would be prudent indeed. As overjoyed as I am to see you again after all this time, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I'm curious to know just how the hell this is happening," Azama said with a knit brow.

Setsuna winked. "Gotcha. So basically, from how I understand it, Anankos seems to have some sort of authority over the souls of people that've died. When I bit the dust, before my spirit could move onto wherever it was going, he took control of it and saved it for later. I guess now is later."

The attention was briefly brought onto Lilith, who cursed and balled her fists as she stared at her feet. "I should have figured that out. It's no wonder he was able to control Garon for so long. He must have died long before Kamui and the others killed him again."

Elise trembled, her complexion shifting to a ghostly white. "Then…how long…how long were we living with a puppet of Anankos?"

"But why?" Corrin blurted, seemingly not having heard his sister's question. "Of all the hundreds of thousands of people that die every day, why you?"

"To get to us," Kamui answered in a whisper as if it were obvious. Upon turning his head to face her, Corrin noticed that she wasn't looking anywhere pertinent. In fact, she hadn't once looked directly at Setsuna. "According to Lilith, Anankos has some sort of pseudo-clairvoyance. He must have predicted us coming together to defeat him and stole her soul in order to use her as a weapon against us. After all, nobody would be eager to fight someone so important to them." Her words faded into a mumble as she went on, her shoulders slacking.

Setsuna put a finger on her chin before nodding. "Yeah, that seems about right. I'm not worried about it, though. I'm sure you guys can beat the rest of them without even breaking a sweat."

"The rest of them?" Corrin asked, his eyes widening.

"Well, yeah. What, do you think that Anankos expected you to give up after having to fight just me? A lot of people important to you guys have died over the years, you know. You'd better be prepared. Emotionally, I mean."

The twins exchanged a silent glance that said all that it needed to. Suddenly, Setsuna winced in pain and clutched at her chest, stumbling backwards. Corrin immediately grabbed her hand and supported her back, staring at her in concern.

"Setsuna, are you okay? What's going on?"

"Man, I'm explaining a lot today, huh?" The archer snickered before grimacing once again. "Well, you beat me, so I'm sort of useless to Anankos now. I guess he's letting my soul go. Yay, I get to die for real this time."

"What?!" Corrin exclaimed in bewilderment. He was on the verge of inquiring just what in the world she was talking about when his breath suddenly stopped upon seeing a yellow glow manifest itself just above her chest, small motes of light drifting off of it and into the vast open sky above. "No…no, no, no! B-but we just got you back!"

"No, you didn't." Setsuna sighed, staring up at the face of the man holding her. The warmth of his embrace was oh so familiar, bringing the hint of a smile to her face. "Corrin, listen. I don't know how exactly I know any of this stuff, but I know all about what happened after I died. The parley, the ambush, the execution, everything. You took my death pretty hard, huh? A part of me is flattered, but I can't help but think that maybe you took it a little too hard, you know?"

"Setsuna, what are you saying?" Corrin breathed.

"You were so hellbent on revenge or justice or whatever that you let yourself be possessed by the Silent Dragon. Come on. I know you, and you're better than that. You never would have lost sight of your ideals if you hadn't reacted like that to me dying. You said it yourself, I'm not special, right? Why change your entire approach to war just because one person you loved died?"

Corrin let out a shaky breath. He'd had similar conversations with other people before—Azura, Azama, even Kamui—but now he was speaking directly to the person that mattered most. "I…you don't understand. I know I shouldn't have lost myself like that, but don't you think I tried? Before I lost you, I didn't understand just how awful war could be. You are such a genuine, wonderful, kind person, and your life was thrown away over what? A random skirmish over a territorial dispute? All I wanted to do was put an end to all the senseless death, but my treaty proposal was rejected without so much as a glance. I know I wouldn't have reacted the way I did had I known the truth behind everything, but at the time, I was so consumed by rage and by grief that I…I…"

"You forgot who Corrin even was," Setsuna finished for him. "But hey, that's in the past. You're better now, but…I can tell. There's still anger inside you that's stirring, just waiting to be released. It'll happen when you come face to face with the Silent Dragon, and then you'll lose yourself again. There's only one way to stop that from happening. Can you guess what it is?"

"How?" Corrin begged, his lip beginning to quiver. The more time passed, the lighter she felt in his arms. She was slipping away. Soon, she would leave him all over again.

Setsuna grunted as she adjusted herself, leaning up and putting her lips near his ear. She whispered a trio of words that sent goosebumps crawling across his skin and chilled his blood on his veins.

"Let me go."

She placed a kiss upon his cheek and stood on her own, wobbling for a moment before soon regaining her balance. The light from her chest was much brighter now. "Alright, who do I have to lecture next…?" After a moment's thought, Setsuna snapped her fingers and pointed. "You."

A shudder ran down the woman's spine. Though her head was turned, she could still see the finger pointed directly at her in her peripheral vision. After balling her fists to quell their trembling, Kamui turned to face Setsuna for the first time, fresh beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Ah…y-yes?"

"Wait, we haven't formally met yet. I'm Setsuna. I was Hinoka's retainer and Corrin's girlfriend before he married Kagero here."

Kamui swallowed. "Ah…I'm K-Kamui. Corrin's s-sister—"

"Yeah, I know." Setsuna put her fists on her hips and leaned forward. "I was running away, you know. You could have let me get away, but no, you just had to shoot lightning through my chest. Do you know how much that hurts? It's a lot!"

Immediately, the princess fell to her hands and knees, squeezing her eyes shut and forcing back tears. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry. I wasn't thinking, a-and I was so used to just killing one person after the after, and—"

"Woah, slow down there. I can barely understand you," Setsuna interrupted again. She sighed and shook her head in an almost motherly disappointment. "Of course I'm going to be mad at you for you know, killing me, but I've been thinking about it for a while, and as much as I'd hate to say it, I'd probably do the same thing. Most people don't really think about certain things when you're fighting, and 'don't let the enemy escape' is basically a rule of war at this point. If I were in your position, I probably would have sent an arrow right into your back, especially if I had as clear a shot as you did. You seem pretty cool, though, so no hard feelings."

Kamui stayed with her head bowed until she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Looking up with tear-filled eyes, the sight before her pulled her back from the edge of lucidity and made her mouth hang open in wonder. Smiling down on her like an angel out of heaven was the radiant form of the woman whose life she had ended what felt like an eternity ago, the golden gleam emitting from her body making her all the more saintly. This radiant image was abruptly shattered by Setsuna losing her balance and falling over.

"Ow." She closed her eyes as her closest allies rushed to her side, letting out a deep breath before extending her arms and wiggling her fingers. "Noka, Azama, grab 'em. I want to feel you guys one last time before I go."

Hinoka obliged without a second thought, as did Azama, to the surprise of many. The archer gave a blissful smile. "Yeah…yeah this is nice. Alright, I get a second chance at last words…Kamui, you cry too much. Corrin, pay better attention to your wife. Kagero, forgive him when he doesn't. Hinoka, try to relax every now and again, and Azama, it wouldn't kill you to be just a bit nicer to people."

The intensity of the glow reached its peak and an otherworldly hum began to emit from Setsuna's body, prompting her to laugh almost as if it were tickling her.

"For everyone else, make the best of what you have. Life is only doom-and-gloom if you let it be. Remember that."

Finally, the light flashed and briefly overtook the area before dimming and revealing dozens of small, golden orbs of light ascending to the sky, all surrounding a single much larger orb in the center. Setsuna's body was gone. Everyone stared in awe as it climbed higher and higher, its glow slowly fading.

"Heh. Yeah, those were pretty cool last words."

And all was silent.


As the sun dipped below the horizon of this particular floating isle of Valla, most of those who had journeyed from their homeland to slay the Silent Dragon had retired to the Astral Plane. Peri and Orochi had offered to prepare a feast for all soldiers present, something that brought great joy to those who were well acquainted with their skills in the kitchen. As such, they were eager to put aside their weapons and armor and flood into the mess hall, whose size had doubled courtesy of Lilith. In fact, she insisted on creating one giant base for the makeshift army to make use of as opposed to having them go on staying in the ones they had used over the course of the war. Not only was it convenient, but secretly, Lilith hoped that it would promote the growth of camaraderie among them.

After assuring his youngest daughter that he would join them soon, Corrin closed the doorway to the Astral Plane and stood alone for a moment, staring up at the sky and bathing in the faint moonlight, unblinking. The first day in Valla had certainly been an eventful one. He never expected the journey to be easy, but to confront the soul of his lost love and be forced to fight, only to lose her just minutes after reuniting? That may have been more than he was prepared to handle. They were not even so much as given the chance to speak more than a few words to each other before she passed on for good this time. It was cruel. It was unfair. After all he had suffered, after all he had done, did he not deserve at the very least solace? Closure?

He could feel his body heating up as his thoughts stirred, though he forced himself to remain calm. No, he wouldn't give in to anger. He was better than that now; he had grown. No longer would he let himself be consumed by rage.

Corrin decided that a walk would clear his mind. The environment of Valla was not dissimilar from that of the Astral Plane, being lush with vibrant green grass and characterized by its temperate air that had cooled with nightfall. As he walked across the island, Corrin was gradually calmed by the serene atmosphere and found himself even growing rather tired. Upon an ear twitching when it picked up the indistinct sound of someone mumbling, however, the drowsiness dissipated and he was fully alert.

"…Can't keep…worthless…fault…idiot…"

Corrin pursed his lips. He'd recognize that voice anywhere, even in a whisper. It only took a single turn of his head to catch sight of her sitting alone in the grass, hugging her knees with her head hung low. It always hurt seeing her like this, knowing that there was little he could do to truly help. Be that as it may, he could at the very least try.

A part of him wanted to sneak up and surprise her, though they both had naturally keen hearing. As he grew near, she raised her head and turned to face him only to immediately straighten out both her legs and her back, putting on a false smile and giving a small wave.

"You almost startled me, you know. Or was that your intention?"

He put his arms up in defense. "You caught me. Can't blame me for trying, can you?" The twins laughed together for a moment as he sat next to her, crossing his legs and planting his hands in the grass to get comfortable. "What're you doing out here all alone?"

Kamui shrugged as the smile on her face shrunk. "Just wanted some time to myself before going back, that's all. It's nice out here. Quiet."

Corrin stared. "I get that. I…noticed that you've barely said a word ever since the battle ended. You've been marching all day in silence. Are you okay?"

"Fine as I'll ever be."

He didn't like the way she phrased that.

"Mm." Corrin gazed up at the moon. Then at his sister. He'd thought this since he was a child, but even with a dispirited look on her face, she was beautiful. The moonlight accentuated her best features, from the soft curve of her face to the subtle pout on her lips. "Hey, let me ask you something. That girl with two-toned hair—pink and blue."

"There are two of those."

"The bubbly one."

Kamui smirked. "There are still two of those. Mother and daughter."

"I'm talking about the older one—oh, of course. With the mismatched eyes."

"That would be Peri," Kamui said with a nod. "Do you have a question about her?"

"Yeah, you could say that." The prince gave a sly smile and leaned in uncomfortably close to his sister, making her recline away and blink at him, baffled. "I've been wondering about this for a couple of days now, but what exactly is she to you?"

The frantic darting of her eyes signalled to Corrin that he was on the right track. "W-what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. She kissed you after we killed Iago, she's always close to you, and I swear she's said your name two dozen times since we got to Valla. Tell me, what is she, hm? A girlfriend of yours?"

The sight of his sister's burning red face almost made him burst into laughter, along with how she babbled her way through her words. "G-girlfriend?! What do you take me for, some sort of j-juvenile schoolgirl? Of course not! We both have husbands as well as children!"

"Sure, but I don't have to tell you what it's like over in Nohr. It's not uncommon for a man to have two or more women at his side, married or otherwise."

"I am not a man."

"Right, right, you're a princess. I'm sure you could have a whole harem if you wished."

A punch to his forearm broke him, the prince nearly doubling over laughing. Kamui crossed her arms and glared at him. "Corrin! What is the matter with you?"

"What? Is curiosity a sin now, sister?"

Kamui pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed as the red began to fade from her cheeks, though still she refused to meet his eyes. "Gods, you're incorrigible. If you must know, Peri and I are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Is that so?"

After a moment's thought, the princess looked down at the grass and pursed her lips. "I…Gods. No, that's not right. We certainly aren't girlfriends, for your information, but I feel our relationship goes beyond just normal friendship. It's difficult to put into words."

"Partners then?"

"What does that even mean?"

"In Hoshido, there's a particular concept of companionship that goes beyond normal friendship, like you said." Corrin pursed his lips and closed his eyes as he racked his brain. "It has a name, of course, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. Anyway, back before she died, Setsuna and Azama were partners not only in the fact that they were both Hinoka's retainers, but they were more than friends. Not even in a romantic sense, not a familial one either, but…bah, you'd be better off having Kagero explain it to you. Really though, this Peri woman kissed you like she'd done it before, and Silas didn't seem shocked. Are you sure there's nothing deeper going on between you two?"

Kamui nodded and almost smiled. "Certain. Peri is…well, she's an unusual person. In her mind, a kiss doesn't necessarily have to be romantic. It's a gesture of affection that's a few steps beyond a hug."

"Oh, so she does this to other people as well?"

"N-no," Kamui answered, the red hue slowly fading back into her face. "It's just me, but don't you go getting any ideas in that head of yours. We're just very close, that's all."

"How close?"

"How close," she repeated, sitting in silence for a moment. After a long sigh, Kamui leaned back far enough so that she were lying down in the grass, eyes turned towards the dark and jeweled sky. "Sometimes I'd rather go to her for advice than, say, Elise or Camilla. You wouldn't be able to tell at first glance, but she's oddly perceptive. She always seems to know the right thing to say. At times, we'd share a bed—fully clothed, mind you—because Laslow snores. Silas doesn't mind. Whenever I'm drowning myself in paperwork for one reason or another, she's usually the only one who can pull me away from a desk. Being cute goes a long way when it comes to how persuasive one is, you know?"

As Kamui gave an uncharacteristic chuckle, Corrin smiled at her. Seeing her happy, genuinely happy, was a rarity growing up, and he'd seldom had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of so much as a smile that wasn't artificial from her since Iago had been slain. His sister's lively face was a welcome sight.

She turned her head to look at him, her laughter gradually coming to an end. "What about you? You've been in Hoshido for a while now. Do you have anyone that—"

Still smiling with his eyes half closed, Corrin didn't say a thing. He simply gazed into her eyes and watched the mirth drain from her face. No words were needed. At that moment, there was a silent understanding between the twins that both felt would be best left unspoken.

After what felt like an eternity, Kamui looked back up at the sky, any semblance of levity having long since abandoned her. Corrin broke the silence.

"Tell me why you're really out here all alone. You don't have to lie to me, Kamui."

"Because I'm scared," she admitted without a moment's hesitation. "You heard what Setsuna said. A lot of people important to us have died over the years. I…I don't want to fight them. Any of them. A-and how long will it go on? Will we be faced with trial after trial until we're too exhausted to stand a chance against the Silent Dragon? Or will we reach him before we even come across any more ghosts? Gods, where even is he?"

"Leave that to our navigators, they're handling it." The prince moved himself closer to his sister and took her hand into his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I can't say that I don't feel the same. The prospect of having to face those who we've lost is…well, terrifying. There's no sense in dreading it, though, because it's inevitable. We have to do this for the sake of both Hoshido and Nohr. Besides, no matter what happens, you're always going to have me here to support you. Camilla, Elise, Leo, Silas, Peri, too. You have a lot of people that love you, you know? So you don't have to face anything on your own."

"And if they die…?" Kamui asked, pain flashing on her face for just a moment. "What if, in the end, I'm alone? Alone, because everyone around me perished under my watch. I can't fight the Silent Dragon on my own. I'd have to return to Nohr by myself and come up with some lie as to why my brothers and sisters and so many others are dead. I…I can't do that, Corrin. I can't."

"Why do you think that we're all going to die?"

"Because that's what always happens. Others die, and I live."

"Not this time." Corrin drew her hand to his lips and pressed them into it, then holding it with both of his. "I'm never going to leave you, Kamui. You have to trust me on this or you're going to be in a stupor for the rest of the journey. No matter what happens or who we have to fight, I'll be right by your side, okay?"

She did not respond, instead continuing to gaze unblinking at the stars that adorned the night sky like the precious gems on Garon's royal mantle. Slowly, Corrin lowered her hand back down to her side. All he could do was stare at her and frown. No matter what he said or what he did, there was no getting through to her now. The only option was to wait.

"How precious."

The sound of a deep, sonorous voice resonating out from seemingly nowhere drew the twins to their feet. Within seconds, they were back to back with their legendary weapons drawn and their eyes sharp, scanning the area in search of any other person. There was no one to be seen, however.

The voice spoke again. "Look at you two. Just like they were in their younger years. It's almost nostalgic."

"Who are you?!" Kamui barked. "Show yourself! You wouldn't want us to have to find you ourselves, I can promise you that."

"If that is what you desire, my child, then I shall."

Upon feeling his sister's body tense up against his own, Corrin turned around so that he was facing the same direction she was. His eyes widened in shock when he saw just what had made her jump. Standing before them was a figure donning an ornate white robe with a blue and gold trim, azure hair cascading over their shoulders. From beneath the shroud of darkness cast by the hood over the figure's face shone a pair of scarlet red eyes as sharp as knives. There was an almost smug smirk spread across the figure's thin lips.

A shudder ran down Corrin's spine as he nearly froze from the sight of the man. There was something about his presence that rendered him—as well as his sister—paralyzed. What was it? It wasn't magic. Corrin was certain that he could move if he willed himself to, but there laid the problem. He was unable to muster up the will to do so much as tighten the grip on his sword's handle.

"That doesn't answer her initial question," Corrin said with venom in his voice. "Who are you? I would suggest that you be curt, lest we lose our patience."

The man's smile remained as he raised his arms to hook his fingers under the hem of his hood. "Oh, is such a question truly necessary? You know who I am. You've known since you first heard my voice."

He revealed himself to be a man with a rather youthful appearance. Striking eyes, sharp features, not a blemish to be found. However, his countenance made him come off as…older. Much, much older. The man took a step forward, and the closer he drew, the more Corrin felt as if his bones were being replaced with lead and his muscles with steel wire.

The words spilled from Kamui's lips, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

"You're…the Silent Dragon."

His lips curled. "I prefer Anankos."

It was at that moment that Corrin began to feel dizzy. No…no, that couldn't have been right. This was not reality. The puppetmaster responsible for countless death and destruction across decades could not have been standing before him with the smile of someone who was meeting an old friend for the first time in years. This had to have been a trick by one the Silent Dragon's thralls—a mage who specialized in illusions. Zola? Had that wretch of a man been kept from passing on and held prisoner for years for the sole purpose of tormenting him? That was it. It was the only possibility that made sense.

The man called Anankos gazed at the twins with fond eyes. "Oh, how I've longed to formally meet you both since the day you were born. The closest I ever got was through Garon, but that was never enough. I'm so glad we finally get to meet." Smile abiding, he gently cupped Kamui's face with gentle hands. She flinched, though remained right where she was. He did the same with Corrin. The prince would have spit on him if he could.

"My sweet, sweet Mikoto's children. My grandchildren. Look at you," he began, his words mawkish. "You've gotten so big. So big, and so strong. Soldiers at your beck and call, willing to throw away their lives on your command, and you fight among them as well. What admirable adults you've become, and yet…you come here with the intent to slay me." For the first time, his smile broke, shifting to a disappointed frown. "Why?"

"Why?" Corrin repeated with a scowl. "You aren't serious. You're toying with us."

"I would never."

"You've wrought nothing but death and pain and carnage, and you ask why we wish to put an end to your life?" The Assassin Prince bared his teeth and desperately tried to swing his sword right at Anankos' neck, but to no avail. "The reason we never knew our parents, the reason we were stolen from our family, the reason why hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives since we were born, it's you. Mother, Father, Setsuna, Xander—it's all YOU!"

Anankos thinned his eyes and tilted his head. "What does any of that matter? To make things clear, I never intended for Mikoto to perish. I would…I would never do that to her."

"You wanted to kill the two of us!"

"Wrong," Anankos denied with fierce adamancy. "That was Iago—that damnable snake. He was the one in control of Garon, not me. I was a fool to ever trust him with the reigns." He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "My goal was never to harm you two or Mikoto. All I wish is to bring ruin to Hoshido and Nohr. Nothing more, nothing less."

Kamui spoke up. "You say that as if it's any better."

"Is it not? What are the lives of humans worth? They're nothing but vile, disgusting, simple insects."

" We're human," Kamui asserted, a glare in her eyes. Anankos chuckled.

"Don't debase yourself, my child. You two are so much more—your children, too. That is, those who have awakened their draconic blood. Mikoto was the same, though she never did like acknowledging it. She was always too friendly with humans. So much so that she had six children with one…it was not all for nothing, however, for she bore you two as well. We are far greater than humans, my children. Never believe otherwise."

Corrin sneered. "You claim that my sister and I are superior to our own people, and for what? Because we can turn into dragons? Such a thing is practically meaningless. What does it matter?"

Anankos nearly laughed again, instead shaking his head in an almost amused manner. "Is that all you think sets you apart from humanity? Tell me, how old do you think your mother was when she passed?"

"Nearing fifty," Corrin answered without missing a beat. Of course he knew his own mother's age. "What of it?"

"Is that what she claimed? My, my. She was always far too modest." Suddenly, Anankos' visage steeled, any semblance of playfulness having been snuffed out as he stared at the twins, leaning in close. "Mikoto was six-hundred-and-twenty-five on the day of her death. Young. Naive. It was no wonder she fell in with humans."

"Liar," Kamui growled, struggling against her seemingly invisible binds. "Just what the hell are you trying to achieve here?!"

Anankos jerked his head to face her dead on. "I wish to show you. Show you that compared to these wretched creatures, you are practically a god. Your blood may be tainted by your humanity, but rest assured that you were lucky enough to be able to tap into your latent draconic heritage, and that means that you will outlive every last one of those worms. Thousands of years, Kamui. You haven't been alive for thirty; your life hasn't even begun. We can live it out together. Both of you along with your blessed children, dear old grandfather…and even Lilith. I can forgive her transgressions if she's willing to move forward."

The dragon stepped forward so that he was barely inches from Corrin, who held his tongue between his teeth. "I know what it is that you desire. Power. Respect. By my side, you would have millions begging for the chance to lick your boots."

"You don't know a damn thing about me," Corrin spat. "Look at what you've done. Those phantoms we fought today…they were Vallites, weren't they? You took your people and subjugated them of their will just so that you would have an army, because of course no one in their right mind would lay down their lives on your behalf. The only reason you have any power is because you stole from them their ability to rebel."

"All I've done is save them from the fate they would have faced had they chosen to raise their blades on me. It's rather merciful, I'd say. I may as well make their lives useful as opposed to allowing them to mindlessly wander my realm, and so, they fight for me. Carry out my will."

Corrin wanted to lunge and tear out his throat, but even if he could, he doubted that it would do any lasting harm. After all, the Silent Dragon's true form was lying in wait elsewhere. Still, it made his blood boil. Anankos was speaking as if his actions were for the good of all when in reality he was only out to sow discord wherever he could. He was a monster. A monster that had to be destroyed.

"Why?"

Both men turned to look at Kamui, whose voice wavered as a single tear threatened to spill forth. "What's the point in any of this? You say that you hate humans—that they're inferior to you—but that's no reason to go through all of this effort to wipe them out. No one seeks out colonies of ants to drown with a basin of water. This is personal."

"You're right, it is personal." Anankos chuckled. "You see, Hoshido and Nohr were founded by my children. Hoshido by Cadros, Nohr by Vadros. Both of them deserve nothing but my contempt, and so I wish to destroy that which they have created. It's rather simple."

"That doesn't make any sense. Cadros defended you until you killed him, did he not? So why bring any harm to Hoshido?"

"Because he failed!" Anankos shouted, his demeanor shifting in a single moment. "That traitor Vadros did everything in her power to kill me—her FATHER—and that weakling Cadros put up a pathetic attempt at a defense! He fought, but I could tell that he wanted me dead and was only trying to stay in my good graces in my final moments. Imagine, I bring them into the world, give them EVERYTHING, and they wish me dead. The wretched, ungrateful snakes. I snuffed out their lives myself, but that isn't punishment enough. No, I can feel them…they've been watching." He huffed as an unnerving twisted smile crept its way up his face. "Watching for thousands of years. They need to suffer. They need to have those that they cherish crushed until there's nothing left, and what better way than to have them do it to themselves? It would have been glorious!" He nearly doubled over in laughter before his demeanor shifted once again, now one of rage. "But no! Imagine my surprise when you two decide to call a truce at the last second after years and years of going at each other's throats! Then, just as Iago is on the verge of crushing you, you come together and sing him to death. It was mortifying! I put all my trust into a man that had been at my side for millenia and he's bested by a pair of infants and the daughter of one of the few subjects I had remaining! The only purpose of her birth was to destroy Nohr from the inside, and she ends up saving it!"

"One of the few subjects you had remaining…Arete," Corrin said.

"Don't you speak that traitor's name!" Anankos hissed. "When she returned, I should have been more cruel. I should have tortured her until she was begging for death, but I tortured her until she died on her own. Foolish, foolish Anankos."

Corrin thinned his eyes, his breath still. If anything could come of this meeting, then he was going to make sure that it was something valuable.

"Why do you call her a traitor?" he asked. "All we know is that she disappeared when Azura was a child. You're saying she returned to Valla? Why?"

At that, Anankos cut his vituperation short and glared. "Wouldn't you love to know. The more information you have, the better, yes? Well, I'll oblige. You be sure to tell Azura this as well. I want her to know."

Corrin almost wanted to let out a sigh of relief. If he was this loose-lipped when it came to matters that enraged him, then perhaps they could exploit that.

"I sent her to murder Valla's queen and that imposter who stole my name, and she was only half successful. I send her to make Nohr crumble, and she returns to Valla years later, leaving the child she'd bore behind. Do you know what she said to me? Weeping, she said that she couldn't do it. She'd fallen in love, just as that imposter had. She had grown attached. She no longer wished to bring ruin to the nation she called home, and so, I killed her. She was of no use to me any longer. Tell that child that her mother suffered. Tell her that she was begging for my forgiveness as she died. Tell her that she offered to go back and finish what she started in a desperate plea to prolong her life."

The prince forced himself to speak through the bile rising in his throat, as much as it pained him. "Well…now what? Say you defeat us here. Kill every last one of us. After that, what will you do? Iago is gone. You have no subjects to do your bidding."

Anankos let out a bellow of a laugh. "Are you daft, boy?! I can exert my influence upon anyone out there with a will as brittle as glass, just as I did to you! Not only that, but I can send any one of my Vallites to your realm to wreak as much havoc as I please. Who knows? Maybe I'll do exactly that while you're too occupied here to protect anyone. How does that sound? Even if you are by some miracle to defeat me, you'll return to a destroyed world. Either way, I get what I want, and you fail."

Before either one of the twins could respond, Anankos turned his back on them and let out a melancholic sigh. "It doesn't matter. You've made up your minds, haven't you? Go ahead. Risk your lives for people who will be dead and gone in a hundred years while you're alive and young." He began to walk away, and with each step he took, Corrin felt his limbs grow lighter and lighter. "Humans…such fickle little creatures. Perhaps I should have populated the world exclusively with dragons made in my image. Yes…yes, that does sound nice."

By the time the twins could move again, Anankos had vanished.

Kamui fell to her knees and began to heave as if she were on the verge of vomiting. Immediately, Corrin knelt down to support her, resting a comforting hand on her back. "Hey, are you alright?"

"He was lying," she blurted out, her entire body shaking. "Mother was only half-dragon, so we're only a quarter. Surely we have normal lifespans, r-right? Just because we can turn into dragons doesn't mean that we're going to live for thousands of years. He was only saying that to persuade us into joining him."

"Of course," Corrin answered, though in his heart of hearts, something told him that the Silent Dragon was not the type to tell lies. "I…listen. I don't think we should tell anyone about what just happened."

"He could have killed us right then, but—what?" Kamui looked up at her brother in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"Think of it like this. What's the point in worrying everyone when we don't have to? As for Azura…she deserves to know. We can tell her after all is said and done."

Kamui frowned as she stood up on her own, uncertainty palpable in her eyes. "Corrin…I don't like lying to people, especially not friends."

"We aren't lying to anyone, we're simply not telling them about something that happened to us. Think of it this way. If we do tell them, then what does that accomplish? They'd worried sick about their loved ones back home, and that affects their state of mind on the battlefield, and that gets people killed. It's best to have them focused on the task at hand."

Biting her lip and nervously rubbing at her arm, Kamui held her head low and thought to herself for a while. Eventually, she reluctantly nodded her head. "I…I'll trust you."

"Thank you." Corrin put both hands on his sister's shoulders and gently squeezed. "Kamui, look at me."

She did.

"We're going to be fine. We're going to get through this and everyone is going to get home unscathed. When we return home, everything will be just as we left it. There's no use in worrying yourself, okay?"

"Right," Kamui breathed, closing her eyes. "All we have to do is make it to Anankos, defeat him, and then we can go home, and everything will be just fine."

"Exactly." Corrin flashed an optimistic smile before stepping back and opening a portal to the Astral Plane, letting out a deep breath as he did. "It may be tough to get sleep tonight, but we're going to need it. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

"Right."

With that, the twins stepped through the portal and went their separate ways. Neither said a word for the remainder of the night.


A/N: Apologies for the wait, school and life in general has been more work than I anticipated. Shorter chapter this time around because the next one is probably going to be a long one. Hope you enjoyed~!