"…I'll be frank with you, I've suspected as such for a while now."

Kotomi sat opposite her father, hands folded neatly in her lap as she nervously bounced her leg.

"I…what?" she asked.

"Please. I'm no fool, Kotomi." Corrin tapped his finger on the surface of his desk and stared. Kotomi wished she could read his blank expression. "You expected me to believe that you and Rhajat of all people were intimidated by Kamui? That you felt you had no other choice but to play along with her supposed scheme? Not only do we have numerous ways to circumvent assassinations at our disposal, but Rhajat would have cursed her to Hell and back to the point where she'd be rendered invalid. I'll admit that I didn't know quite how many of your friends were involved, but yourself and Rhajat, Shiro, and Selkie? You four have never been much for blindly following orders."

The young woman's heart pounded in her chest. He knew this entire time? Why hadn't he confronted her about it? Was he waiting patiently for her to confess so that he would be justified in administering a punishment? What would her punishment even be?

"Ah…I understand. I'll accept whatever punishment you deem fit. As I was the one to organize the operation, I feel it best that my co-conspirators be permitted to go free. The full repercussions should fall on me."

"Punishment?" Corrin smirked. "Kotomi, you do realize that you and your friends practically pulled me back from the edge of a cliff with what you did, right? If you hadn't gotten Kamui out of her cell, I might have lost it and killed her myself. I'm grateful to you, honestly."

Kotomi stared. "But…what we did was treason. We deliberately acted against the interests of Hoshido. Shouldn't I at the very least be imprisoned?"

"Kotomi, you're my daughter."

"So I'm getting special treatment."

"Precisely."

"Say someone else did what we did. Someone you didn't know. Would you extend the same courtesy to them?"

"I'd like to say yes, but truthfully, I don't know. I can't say for certain."

"So then what makes me so special? Is it only because I'm your daughter that I'm permitted to get off without any sort of consequences? No reprimanding, no fine, nothing?"

"Kotomi, do you want to be punished?"

The question hit her with the force of a landslide. Looking at Corrin, she saw not her father, but the head of the Hoshidan army, violet eyes boring a hole through her and mouth hidden behind tented fingers. A chill ran down her spine. Was she…frightened of him? Of her own father? Her hands balled into fists in her lap; she supposed it wouldn't have been the first time.

Did she want to be punished—it was ridiculous. No one did. People wished to do as they'd like without consequence and that was just a fact of life. She was no different. If Kotomi had her way, then she would have never spoken a word about this to her father and would never hear it brought up again. The only reason she had confronted him to begin with was that it was the right thing to do, that was all.

"No," she breathed, eyes glued to her lap. "Of course not."

"Then please, for both our sakes, drop it. If you ask me, you didn't do anything wrong. You and your friends took note of what you considered to be an injustice, worked to prevent it, and as a result, saved the lives of both myself and my sister. I'm grateful to you, really, so you don't have to feel guilty for lying."

"But you always told me that lying was wrong. You always said that you should be honest with the people you love no matter what."

Corrin grimaced. "I have said that, yes, but…well, to be blunt, the world isn't as black and white as I made it out to be. Sometimes to protect people, you can't be entirely truthful with them. You have to do things that they may not want you to do—things that are in their best interest, but go against their desires."

"And how do they know what's in their best interest? Who decides that?"

"You do." Corrin immediately realized the words that had left his mouth and noted the dissatisfied expression on Kotomi's face, immediately biting his tongue. "Ah, what I mean is you have to use your best judgment. You think long and hard about it and then do what you believe is right, and if you end up being wrong…well, you just have to face the consequences. That's the risk you take."

Kotomi pursed her lips. "I see." She promptly stood up, stepped away from her chair, and bowed. "I'll keep those words in mind, then. Thank you, Father. I'll be taking my leave now."

"Understood. Oh, and if you see your sister wandering around camp, I'd appreciate it if you let her know that Lilith has that katana she wanted to try out ready for her," Corrin said with a smile. Still, Kotomi's expression remained as neutral as ever.

"I will. Farewell."

With that, Kotomi slipped through the flap of the tent and left Corrin alone once again. Once he was confident that she was far enough away, the prince took a deep breath, curled his fingers into a fist, and slammed it down on the surface of his desk, sending splinters of wood flying through the air and onto the grass below. He cursed through grit teeth and forced himself to keep his voice down.

Of course Kamui hadn't blackmailed Kotomi and her friends into helping her escape. Such a thing simply wasn't in her nature, so the fact that he hadn't realized such a thing earlier served to show how blind he had been. Mostly, though, it was the fact that his own daughter had directly conspired against him that was vexing. He didn't blame her, of course, but it hurt nevertheless.

The fact that she was able to gain the trust and utilize the assistance of so many was a surprise. Some, like Rhajat or Selkie, were surely easy to convince, but Kiragi? Matoi? Those two were loyal to a fault, so he could only imagine what Kotomi had to have said to them in order to get them on board with her plan. Still, why he was grateful to them for rescuing his sister from a brutal execution, he could not help but feel a sense of betrayal…but that was to be expected, wasn't it?

Anankos had ruined him. Not only did he lose himself—his values, his convictions, his personality—but he had rejected those whom he should have cherished. Takumi, Kagero, Azura…instead of confiding in them, he lashed out until his relationship with them had been forever altered, but just how much of that could be blamed on the Silent Dragon? Whenever things got particularly bad, Corrin could always feel his influence writhing beneath his skin, but those occasions were a rarity. Even when the tell-tale deep purple fog would manifest itself around him, he was still in control. It was always Corrin. He'd succumbed to a lust for revenge, and for that, he would be forever regretful.

Even now, free from Anankos' clutches, he was still making mistakes. His thoughts were consumed with yesterday's events. He'd planned to make amends with Effie during their investigation of the library, and what came as a result? Absolutely nothing. The way she looked at him sent shivers down his spine and frightened him so much that he could not so much as bring himself to speak candidly with her. What was he, a coward? He was supposed to be the leader of an army and he could not even speak to someone who he was fighting alongside. He was pathetic. This was the same weakness that allowed Anankos to seize control of him to begin with.

Corrin sighed and combed his fingers through his hair, staring at the map before him. He had to remind himself that this sort of self depreciation was precisely what his other half was suffering from. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to the same thoughts. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, running his fingertips along the dotted line leading from the library to the very castle in which Anankos had been revealed to be dwelling within. It made sense, of course. A library as large as the one they had scoured would have been located at the heart of a city, not far from a kingdom's castle. Though the masses of land the buildings were located on had long since drifted apart, if their map was to be trusted, they were less than two day's journey from their final destination.

Once they reached the castle, all they had to do was march in and slay the beast that lay within. Then, it would be over. The scars inflicted on Hoshido and Nohr would at last be able to heal. With those who had been with him for years by his side, he would look towards a new dawn and forge a future where every citizen could flourish, not just those born into nobility or those who offered their body to the military. Until that day came, however, he would fight tooth and nail to ensure that it came to fruition.

After all, what more was there to do?


"Kagero, may I ask you something?"

Marching through a vast and open meadow populated by all sorts of vegetation and vibrant flora, Corrin asked the question unprompted. It had popped into his head one moment and left his mouth the next. He didn't know quite what brought it on, but seeing as how this was Kagero he was speaking to, he couldn't very well just say "never mind" and carry on as if he'd never spoken to begin with.

"Hm?" Kagero turned her head to meet her husband's eyes. "Of course, my love. What is it?"

"Do you…" The question hung on Corrin's tongue. "Do you have any regrets? Regarding everything that's happened, I mean."

Kagero raised an eyebrow. "Everything that's happened?"

"Since the war began. Much has occurred, and, well, I suppose I'd like to know if you would change anything."

"Ah. Well, of course I do."

Corrin didn't know what the answer he was hoping for was, but still Kagero's response evoked a stinging in his chest.

"There is much to be regretful of, after all," Kagero continued. "Many men have met their ends unnecessarily. Mothers and fathers, sons and daughters all lost, and for what? A war with no victor? No true justice?" She shook her head and frowned. "Had we the gift of foresight all those years ago, this all could have been avoided. Alas, Azura did not uncover the truth behind Anankos' machinations until the war was already well underway, and by that point, I doubt anything could have been done to convince either side to lay down their arms. I wish we could have raised Kotomi and Kara properly. I wish Prince Xander hadn't left his wife without a husband and son without a father. I wish I hadn't had to almost lose you in order to get you back."

Corrin winced, pain flashing in his eyes. As usual, Kagero was right. Everyone marching alongside him had been through much and come so far, but not without a cost. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had died. Civilians, too, had been slaughtered. All but a select few were ignorant regarding what it was they were truly dying for. Ignorant of the truth behind the leaders they followed into battle and laid down their lives in service of. This war had left scars on both the body and the mind. Oboro's missing eye, his own permanently violet sclera, the burns on Orochi's arms. Azama didn't smile quite as wide as he once did, and on the rare occasions when Azura sang to herself, there was an underlying tremble to her voice. And…Setsuna…

He found himself looking over to Elise marching not far from him. There was no smile on her face nor a hint of light in her eyes. She'd once been the most bright and bubbly person he'd known, and her now morose temperament surely was not just a result of growing up. The war had changed her just as it had changed him, and Kamui, and Ryoma, and everyone else.

Kagero bit her lip. "That being said. I find that dwelling on what could have been to be a fruitless usage of one's time. It isn't as if we can change the past. All we can do is try to atone and strive towards a better future."

"That's true, but contemplation can make it so that those mistakes aren't repeated, no?"

"There is a difference between contemplating and refusing to let go of the past. Reflecting on one's missteps and learning from them is how one achieves growth. Holding onto said missteps and refusing to forgive oneself stifles that growth."

"And…that's what I've done."

Kagero nodded, closing her eyes. "It is. That isn't to say you haven't grown at all—I'm sure the Corrin of six years ago would hardly recognize the Corrin of today—but…you held onto anger and resentment for a long, long time, and as a result, lost a part of yourself. A part of yourself you will never be able to get back. But, as I said, there is no use in lamenting that fact. All there is to do is keep our eyes forward and try to be our best selves every day."

Corrin's gaze drifted upwards, drawn towards the clear blue sky and drifting white clouds. Was he living up to that ideal? Was he truly putting his efforts towards being his best self? Or was he wasting his time wallowing in self pity over things that were unchangeable? He had hurt people. He had been unable to save people. Those were simply things he would have to live with.

"I don't understand how you're so wise," Corrin said with a hint of a smile. "You're barely a year older than I am and it feels like you have so much more experience."

"Well, I didn't spend most of my life locked away in a fortress, for one." Kagero giggled. "I've just done a lot of reading and reflecting in my time, and my family very much emphasizes the importance of Hoshidan schools of philosophy. I'm simply passing down what I've learned to you."

"And I must thank you for that." Corrin sighed. "It'll be hard to internalize all this, but…well, I suppose I'm still growing, aren't I?"

"We all are. Always."

Just as Corrin turned to give his wife a smile, he felt a foreboding atmosphere settle upon

the area and thinned his eyes. His ears twitched and his senses flew into overdrive all at once. Kamui must have sensed it, too, judging by the look on her face and the way she stopped at the front of the group, the other soldiers doing the same in turn.

Kara tugged at his sleeve, frowning. "Papa? You feel that too, right?"

"Yeah…" Corrin's hand drifted to the Blazing Yato at his side. "Ready yourself. I fear we may have company soon."

Steadily making his way towards the front of the band, Corrin kept his eyes sharp and his blade ready to strike at any given moment. It was only when he arrived next to Kamui and Hinoka that his expression softened.

"Setsuna said there would be more. Looks like this is it," Kamui said, her own Shadow Yato already in her grasp.

Hinoka settled herself atop her pegasus. "Fine then. We'll deal with any more ghosts that the bastard sends our way."

"Aye."

That was when a flickering humanoid mirage caught the twins' attention. It steadily walked towards them without so much of a hint of aggression, and then, it fully materialized before them. Hinoka and Kamui drew in sharp breaths and their eyes widened. Corrin just grit his teeth.

"You."

The hooded figure seemed to nod.

Kamui's eyes widened and her jaw went slack. "It's—it's the m-man, from when Mother…" Her voice faded, knuckles white from the tight grip on her blade. She looked at Corrin with worried eyes. "It's him."

"It is." Corrin took a step forward, a scowl on his face. "I was wondering when we'd face you for the final time. It seems that time is now."

Another step forward led the apparition to draw its weapon, a long, ornate looking katana. It was the same blade Corrin had seen all those years ago when the same figure had attacked them en route to the Rainbow Sage. He didn't know it at the time, but since then, he had seen countless paintings of that same blade. At this point, it was all too familiar.

"I know who you are. To think," Corrin spat, "that it would be you to put an end to Mother's life. Anankos is truly despicable."

The apparition drew another identical blade.

"No," Hinoka whispered, her expression falling. "No…"

"…Hmph." In one motion, the figure cast aside its almost pitch black cloak and let the wind carry it away, revealing just what lied beneath. He was a tall man. Middle aged. Opulent, regal Hoshidan armor and a helmet resembling Ryoma's own, only this one was ivory and had a pair of horns protruding from the front. That helmet held back a waterfall of brown hair lined with streaks of silver. The man smirked.

"I expected nothing less from you, my child."

"Child?" Kamui whispered, her voice small. "Oh Gods. Oh Gods…"

"Stay calm, Kamui. There's no sense in losing your nerves now," Corrin advised.

Sumeragi let out a hearty bellow of a laugh. "Seeing you giving your sister advice is certainly a welcome sight! The roles have been reversed for far too long."

"So you've been watching us all this time then?" Corrin sneered. "All these years. All these fights. You could have revealed yourself at any time, yet the two times you've shown yourself in Hoshido have been to spit in the face of your family. Why?"

"That day in Shirasagi, I was doing what I had to. As for that day at sea, I wanted to test you. Sate my curiosity. And I must say, Corrin, you certainly proved yourself."

"What you had to?!" Corrin barked, stomping forward. "You killed Mother! And countless others! You threw us into a war lasting half a decade—what the hell is the matter with you?!"

"You weren't paying attention to what the other one said, were you?" Sumeragi shook his head in disappointment. "Once I died, there was nothing left for me to do but bend to the will of my master. Anankos gave Iago dominion over me, and thus, I did as I was told. Nothing more, nothing less."

"She was your wife!" Hinoka cried. "Have you no remorse? No shame? F-Father, how could you?!"

Sumeragi appeared unfazed. "Had I a choice in the matter, rest assured I would never have done what I did. Alas, I had no such choice. That's why your mother forgave me. I would say I miss her every day if I hadn't spoken to her this morning."

Corrin cursed. Of course Anankos had seized hold of his mother's spirit as well. For that, and for so much more, he would suffer.

"Enough with this."

Corrin hadn't even noticed Ryoma appear at his side. His eyes were cold, just as they'd been for years now, only now there seemed to be a hint of rage within them.

"There are no other mirages with you. You've come for a duel, haven't you?"

Sumeragi's smile grew. "You know me well, my son."

"Do not call me that. My father died ages ago." He drew the Raijinto and began to walk forward without so much as a hint of caution. "You are nothing but a remnant. A remnant I will do away with promptly."

"Ah, but it isn't you I long to face." Sumeragi turned to look Corrin in the eyes. "It's him."

Ryoma stopped dead in his tracks.

"Corrin is no samurai. I walk the same path of the blade you once did. For you to fight him would be—"

"Bah! You and I have fought more times than I can count. Don't you recall me teaching you to hold a sword? Recall when you first landed a hit on me? I certainly do, and I was proud of you, but the time has come for me to see what the son I died for can do when up against his old man."

Ryoma opened his mouth to retort, stopping when Corrin raised his hand, gaze still fixed on the man before him. "It's fine, Ryoma. I'm more than capable of handling him."

"I'm well aware. Still, I am asking you to allow me to do this in your stead," Ryoma pleaded. "Please, Brother."

Sumeragi shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that won't do. It is a duel with Corrin I want and it is a duel with Corrin I will receive." He held up a hand, arcane energy dancing between his fingertips and a sinister smirk on his face. "Unless you'd like me to bring down the full might of the Silent Dragon's forces. That can be easily arranged."

"Ryoma," Corrin sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. I truly am, but—"

"I understand. There is no need for apologies." Defeated, Ryoma sheathed the Raijinto and hung his head low. The king did not say another word.

"Kick his butt, Papa!" Kara urged with a fire in her eyes. "The sooner you beat this guy, the sooner we can get back to traveling!"

"Don't worry, princess. This will be over quickly."

Sumeragi smirked as he and Corrin approached one-another, the rest moving away to give the father and son ample space. "A confident one, I see. You must get it from me."

"No," Corrin said. A glint of red light in his otherwise dark eyes and he sprouted wings and a tail. "I get it from me."

Wasting no time, Sumeragi closed the distance between them in an instant and swung both his blades at his target only to find that Corrin had already ducked behind him. The Blazing Yato's strike was promptly deflected as Sumeragi twisted in the air, jabbing with one arm and bringing the other down to limit Corrin's options of avoidance. A single flap of his wings sent him flying back, widening the gap between them enough for him to charge a blast of water in the jaws his arm had become before chasing right after it.

Sumeragi effortlessly cut through the attack before blocking an overhead strike with his swords, capturing Corrin's own in their junction. He let out a bark of laughter. "Hah! Nice tricks. Mikoto never would show me hers, so I'm glad I get to see it in person!"

Corrin growled. Even under Anankos' influence, he hadn't expected his father to be this arrogant. Where was the valiant and righteous King Sumeragi he'd heard so much about from Ryoma and others who knew him? Setsuna had been the same woman she always was, but this…

His tail snaked around Sumeragi's legs and pulled it out from under him, throwing him off balance long enough for Corrin to wrench his sword away and uncoil his tail before a quick jerk of Sumeragi's leg could knock him on his back. Their blades met again and again in a maelstrom of sparks and steel, the clashes made even more frequent by the fact that Sumeragi was using two swords as opposed to one. Corrin was certainly impressed by how well his father was keeping up—he seemed to know where Corrin was going to strike before even he did—but this flurry of slashes and stabs could only go on for so long.

Sumeragi's eyes went wide when Corrin caught one of his blades with his bare hand. The sheer force and momentum would have been enough to cut clean through flesh and bone, but of course, Corrin had used the arm that had been permanently clad in draconic scales. He silently thanked Silas before forcing the Blazing Yato clean through Sumeragi's armor as well as his torso.

There were no gasps. There were no coughs. Even Sumeragi's breath seemed to stop as he crumbled to his knees and looked up to meet his son's eyes.

"I said it would be over quickly, didn't I?"

Corrin removed the Blazing Yato from his father's chest and returned it to its scabbard, leaving the former king to drop his weapons to the ground and hunch over. Sumeragi was bathed in a golden glow and motes of light began to float up from his form.

"I see," Sumeragi said, his voice low. "This pride I'm feeling…is nice. You've come far, my son. Your strength has surpassed even my own. You truly are worthy of wielding one half of the Dual Yato."

Corrin said nothing. A younger version of himself would have been ecstatic about being given the opportunity to meet his father face to face. After all, the man had died protecting him. There was a time in his life when a connection with his Hoshidan family was all he wanted. Now that he had all that and more, though…he didn't need any more. He'd never known his father and he never would. That was just the way things were.

Without another word, Sumeragi faded away and left the world for the last time.

Silence hung in the air for what felt like a lifetime. Ryoma kept his gaze fixed on the grass. Hinoka balled her fists and shook her head. Takumi looked toward the sky while Sakura folded her hands in her chest in a silent prayer. The lingering silence was only broken by Soleil throwing up her hands with a bewildered expression.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" she asked. "That was King Sumeragi. Your dad. But like, you barely even talked to him! And he was kind of an asshole? I expected a heartfelt reunion with a whole lot of crying like how it was with that other girl. Did that just happen? Am I dreaming?"

Ryoma shook his head before raising it with a sigh. "The dead must stay dead. After our encounter with Setsuna, I'm sure we're all well aware of that by now. Seizing the opportunity to reconnect would only lead to inevitable heartache. As for his manner, well, that was certainly father."

"He seems a lot kinder in the stories," Kiragi said, frowning.

"Kings often do. He wasn't a bad man by any means, but…stern. Harsh. Some called him cold. He valued strength above all else, hence why he was so rigorous in his training of me." Ryoma sighed. "He loved his children. All of us. But he lived every day fully prepared to die, so I suppose he wouldn't be much for sentimentalities when given the chance to see his children all grown up, especially not if he's been watching over us all this time."

"We can talk about it as we move," Corrin said, gesturing to the edge of the island before him. "The longer we idle, the longer Anankos has to prepare. We must keep moving forward."

Though still uneasy, the party fell back into formation with Ryoma and Camilla at the head. Corrin, taking note of his other half's downtrodden expression, took it upon himself to fall back and walk alongside her. He gently nudged her in the side to get her attention.

"Hey," he began, giving her a smile when she looked up at him, "are you okay?"

Kamui nodded. "I am. Shaken, but well." Her lips curled slightly. "I appreciate you worrying about me."

"I find myself doing that a lot these days," Corrin said with a chuckle. "It's almost as if I'm doting on you. That's certainly a turnaround from when we were younger."

"Ugh. The thought of you doting on me like you're Camilla makes me nauseous." Kamui shuddered, hugging herself before chuckling in turn. "You're my little brother, you know."

"I've never understood why you called me that. Not only have I always been much taller than you," he put his hand on her head and made her pout, "but we're twins."

"Be that as it may, you've always felt like a little brother to me. Not that I don't consider us equals—now, at least—but you were always following me, you know? Trying to copy my mannerisms or swordplay. And I was always the one teaching you things."

Corrin held up a finger. "Not always. I taught you how to do a backflip, remember? You were awful at first."

"I remember, I remember." Kamui let out a wistful sigh and looked up at the clouds. "Still, we may be twins, but I've always felt as if I were born first, you know? I've asked Hinoka about it and she doesn't know if that's true—I presume Ryoma doesn't, either—so I just choose to believe it is."

"Well, now I wish you would have told me that before. I could have asked Sumeragi before I put my sword through his chest."

Kamui let out a bark of laughter. It was macabre—laughing about the stabbing and subsequent re-death of one's own father—but the fact that he could once again share a laugh with his twin sister was comforting for Corrin. After spending so long consumed by resentment and trying to kill each other almost every time they met, this was nice. Not only did he have his sister back, but their relationship was stronger than ever. He hoped it would remain that way long after Anankos was dead.

"Kamui was born first, actually. She's older by ten minutes."

Upon hearing the voice from behind them, the twins' hands shot towards the weapons at their hips only to come to a stop at the same time. They stared at each other with wide eyes, neither one of them wishing to turn around. Corrin hadn't heard that voice in nearly seven years and yet he was still able to place it in an instant. He'd expected this at some point and had been silently preparing for it since Setsuna's warning, but now? So soon after coming face to face with the father he had never known, Anankos was sending her now?

Kamui turned to face her first, unable to keep her eyes off of her for long. Immediately, she choked back a sob and started to tremble. Corrin clenched his jaw, steeling his nerves and following his sister in turn.

Mikoto looked at her children with a warm smile.

"Hello, my loves. It is so, so wonderful to see you again."


Having Mikoto around was strange.

Though her children had been mentally preparing themselves for having to face her in battle, miraculously, she didn't seem to have any intention of fighting them. She was alone and without a weapon. There were no arrows fired or spells slung, only comforting words and tender embraces to commemorate the familial reunion.

There were also plenty of tears, unsurprisingly. Sakura and Kamui cried the most out of anyone, and while they tried to hide it, Hinoka and Takumi, too, were caught wiping at their eyes. Corrin, though? No tears came from the Assassin Prince.

He was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to see his mother again, of course. After all, her death had drastically changed the course of his life and the fate of both Hoshido and Nohr. He'd barely gotten to know her for a day before she was murdered at the hands of her own fallen husband—no, at the hands of Iago—so the fact that they could talk once more was cause for great celebration. Still, he felt there was no point in rejoicing. It was not as if she had returned to them for good. She wouldn't be going back to Hoshido and resuming her reign as its queen, no. It didn't matter that she seemed to have no intent of fighting or impeding their path to Anankos. Sooner or later, she would have to leave once again. Corrin knew full well how meaningless it would have been to get attached. His other half, however…

"I still can't believe you're actually here," Kamui said in a whisper. While Corrin gazed into the campfire they had all gathered around, Kamui's eyes remained firmly fixed on her mother's visage as if she would fade away the instant she took her eyes off her. She was leaning on Mikoto's shoulder with her arms wrapped around her, Mikoto's fingers steadily running through her hair. The sight was almost comical. Last time Mikoto had seen her daughter, Kamui would never show such affection in front of anyone, but now she was acting as if no one else could see her.

Mikoto's smile was as warm as the campfire itself. "In truth, neither can I. I knew I would be reunited with you all in due time, but now that I am here, I feel as if I'm dreaming."

"Well, this is no dream," Orochi said with a wide grin. Corrin remembered that she had been his mother's retainer before her passing. "You're truly here, and we're all together again."

Hinoka chewed her lip. "But…I don't understand. Father and Setsuna both seemed intent on stopping our progress no matter what, but not you? Why?"

"I suspect my blood protects me in some way from my father's control. He was able to summon me to you all, though I don't believe that he will be able to call me back now that I am here."

"You…still call him your father, I see," Takumi said with a grimace. "It makes me sick to think that I'm related to that monster. If I were you, I would have disowned him long ago."

Mikoto's smile faded slightly. "It is…difficult to think otherwise. Though the man that raised me is gone, he and the Silent Dragon were once one and the same. I would like to believe there is still a part of him somewhere dwelling within."

"If that's the case, then…maybe there's a way to bring him back?" Sakura suggested. "M-Maybe we don't have to kill him, but can cure him somehow."

"That isn't going to happen."

Everyone's attention turned to Corrin, who had been remarkably silent. He looked up from the flames to meet his little sister's eyes. "I'm sorry, but we came here to slay the Silent Dragon and put an end to all this once and for all. We aren't going to change our goals now."

"Sheesh, would it kill you to let her down a bit more gently?" Asugi asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, you don't have to be such a buzzkill," Soleil added.

Lilith cleared her throat before anyone else could chime in, raising her finger in the air. "Ah, actually, Corrin's right. There's…there's no way to cure the degeneration of dragons," she said, pursing her lips. "It's inevitable. Once it sets in, all there is to be done is either allow them to rampage in their madness or put them out of their misery. It's what Cadros and Vadros did all those centuries ago. They had all their top scholars researching ways to prevent or delay it, but nothing came of it. Degeneration is just a law of existence for us dragons. It'll happen to me one day. It would have happened to—"

"The point is that our mission remains the same," Corrin said sharply, cutting Lilith off. She was getting dangerously close to revealing Mikoto's true age, and with it, the terrifying reality of the lifespans of even half or quarter dragons. "We kill Anankos, return home, and from there we put all of our efforts towards building a better future for both our nations."

Camilla raised her hand, ever the polite one even when speaking to her younger brother. "On that note, Corrin, I've been wondering. We have plans for Nohr and Hoshido when this is all over, yes, but what about Valla?" she asked, gesturing to the vast night sky and drifting masses of land around them.

"What about it?" Corrin shrugged his shoulders. "As tragic as it may be, Anankos has destroyed his own kingdom and left it in ruins. We can't very well salvage a land that's fallen to this extent, especially not when its terrain is like…well, like this."

"It does pain me to see the land I was brought up in such a state," Mikoto began with her hand over her chest, "but alas, I fear Corrin is right. There's nothing to be done regarding Valla outside of defeating Anankos and allowing this nation's spirits to finally rest."

Camilla frowned, seemingly disappointed. She always was the sentimental type. It was only natural that the notion of a large and beautiful kingdom such as Valla being destroyed beyond repair would be devastating to her. She must have had visions of restoring it to its former glory, filled with people and dragons and marvelous architecture, but Corrin understood full well that such visions would never come to fruition.

Letting out a deep breath, Ryoma rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders. "It is late. We should all get to bed. The sooner we arrive at Anankos' dwelling, the better, so we must rise early."

Mitama yawned. "I'm in agreement. Today has been simply exhausting. I've done so much…"

"Walking was literally all the majority of us did today, Mitama. And besides, I'm sure you would have been allowed to take a nap in the Astral Plane if you asked nicely," Shiro said.

"Oh, I don't think so!" Felicia chimed in. "If we make an exception for her, then we have to for everyone else."

"Gee, thanks for advocating for me, Mother. I appreciate it, truly."

Corrin raised his hand before the bickering could continue. "Ryoma's right. Let us return to our shelters for the night." He turned to Mikoto and scratched at the back of his head. "Mother. Your, ah, sleeping assignment…Lilith can—"

"She can take my spot," Silas volunteered with an easygoing grin. "Been far too long since my kids have slept with their old man, so how about we fix that, eh?"

Sophie groaned, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "Daaad, we aren't little kids anymore! Well, I'm not. Same can't be said for Kana."

"You should consider yourself lucky that Dad's going to be between us tonight, otherwise I might have ended up smothering you in your sleep," Kana countered.

Mikoto chuckled, and the sound of her laughter evoked a twinge of pain in Corrin's heart. He'd thought he would never hear that sound again.

"So I'll be sleeping with Kamui tonight? Wonderful. We have much to catch up on, after all."

"That we do, Mother," Kamui said with a hint of sadness in her voice, but while everyone else stood and made their way to the portal to the Astral Plane courtesy of Lilith, she did not move a muscle, continuing to stare at Mikoto. Corrin frowned at the sight. Even after so many weeks, he still had not gotten used to seeing his sister openly display such…weakness.

No, weakness wasn't the word, but vulnerability. While they had shared plenty of tender moments growing up, Kamui was almost always stone cold and stoic. He was the emotional twin and she was the strong one—but then again, did the two have to be mutually exclusive? Most of the strongest people he knew were emotionally distant, to say the least. Ryoma, Hinoka, Xander. Camilla, though? She perfectly embodied both strength as well as sentimentality. The same hands that pat her siblings' heads were used to cleave through her enemies with her ax, so evidently there was no need for a separation between strength and emotions. Still, seeing Kamui behave in such a way was still so foreign. Years spent apart had led to both of them changing drastically, but Corrin had to wonder whether or not that air of poise she emitted in their younger years had been put on from the start.

"Corrin?" Lilith began, drawing his attention over to her. "Are you coming?"

"Ah, no, actually. I think I'd like to take a walk before retiring for the night. As much as I'd hate to admit it, the environment here is oddly soothing."

"Got it. I'll let Kagero know. Just don't stay out too late, okay?"

Mikoto approached from behind with Kamui beside her as Lilith stepped through the portal and closed it behind her. "A walk does sound lovely this time of night. Care to join us?"

Corrin shook his head. "Thank you, but I'd like to be alone for the time being. Besides, you two should take some time for yourselves before you go to bed."

Kamui met her brother's eyes with a thankful expression and nodded. "I appreciate this. Goodnight, Corrin."

"Goodnight, Corrin," Mikoto echoed.

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." Corrin gave a small wave before walking away from them, no particular destination in mind. Once he was far enough, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that they were walking in the opposite direction.

Good. That was what he wanted.

He spread his wings and took to the air, gaining enough altitude so that he would not be easily spotted before turning around and silently gliding behind them, making certain to maintain his distance. Even if he could not hear what they were saying, just keeping an eye on them was enough.

As the Assassin Prince, Corrin was used to moving within the shadows and remaining unseen for long stretches of time. Stealth was something he was remarkably skilled in—albeit due mostly to Kagero's rigorous training. He'd used his skills against slavers, brigands, and crime bosses alike, but turning them against his own flesh and blood was not something he ever anticipated having to do. For as guilty as he felt, though, he would have rather been safe than sorry.

After a few minutes of tailing them, Corrin touched down on a particularly small patch of floating land that just so happened to be drifting directly above as if it were following them. Luckily, it was just low enough so that they were within earshot. Corrin sent up a silent thank you for this blessing and crouched over the edge to get a better look at his mother and sister.

"I…sometimes wonder if things would have been better off if you'd let me die that day, you know," Kamui said, eyes trained on the grass beneath her feet. "Hoshido would still have its queen. Far less people would have lost their lives if I hadn't been the one leading Nohr. I, uh, don't think Corrin would have gotten his Yato without me being there—prophecy and all—but it isn't like he needs a legendary sword to be as great as he is. Without the scales being so balanced, maybe they could have ended the war ages ago, or—"

"I thought Selena advised you not to dwell on what might have been?"

Kamui furrowed her brow, frowning. "You…were there for that? You were watching us?"

"In a way. What sort of mother would I be if I didn't keep tabs on my children, hm?"

A mirthless laugh. "Right. I know that I should look towards the future instead of the past, but it's difficult when all around me are reminders of the things I've done. The things I've enabled." She rubbed at her arm and a shudder ran down her spine. "Corrin's arm. His eyes, too. That boy, Shiro, is without a mother because of me."

"You'll recall it was not your sword that ended Scarlet's life."

"No, but I could have done more to prevent it. I just stood there gawking like an idiot while Hans brutalized that poor woman." Kamui huffed, balling her fists as her face reddened. "I know things are far more complicated than this, but I can't help but feel that it was my war. So many people lived and died by my command, and before Shigure arrived and revealed the truth to us all, what was I even fighting for? Conquest? Glory? Loyalty to a nation that couldn't give less of a damn about me? Even if all it worked out in the end, what did it take?" Her breathing rapidly increased in pace as she raved, coming in staggered and short. "Countless lives cut short because I wouldn't so much as entertain the idea of a p-peace treaty, because I was scared of Iago. The people I love most are all scarred! X-Xander's dead, Beruka's dead, Arthur's dead, you're dead—"

The princess covered her mouth and doubled over before dropping to her knees as they reached the edge of the island, tears spilling forth from her eyes. Mikoto knelt down at once with sympathetic eyes and ran a comforting hand down her daughter's back.

"There is no need for tears, my love. Not right now. Come, stand tall and hold your head high. You've endured everything up to now, have you not?"

Kamui's voice broke. "I just wish things could have been different." Mikoto pulled her to her feet and she sniveled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I wish we could have all been a family. Me, you, Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, everyone. But even after you died, I was too much of a coward to stand against the only family I'd ever known, and look where it led us. Corrin was right. I'm a monster."

Mikoto pursed her lips, considering her next words carefully. "Kamui, my dearest. You…may have made a poor decision. However, that decision does not define you. A bad choice does not make a bad person."

"Except I made that decision again and again every time I woke up in the morning," Kamui muttered.

"Kamui, what is it you plan to do after all this?"

Kamui looked up at her mother and blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"When Anankos has fallen and you never have to pick up a weapon again, what will you do with your life?" Mikoto stared wistfully at the gray clouds overhead and sighed. "You have…many years ahead of you. How will you spend that time?"

"I…don't know. It wasn't long ago I thought I wouldn't have a future. How did you spend your years?"

"Wasting them, mostly. I lived a lavish life as a princess without a care in the world, indulging in decadence and never truly paying much attention to the things around me. I was like that for hundreds of years until I was no longer able to be. Eventually, I met your father and went from princess of a ruined land to queen of a flourishing one. My time in Hoshido was mostly spent performing the duties expected of me as queen, presiding over ceremonies and what-not, but…I put much effort into trying to be a good mother. A good leader. Trying to be better than I once was."

Kamui pursed her lips and hung her head low. "Trying…I suppose that's all I can really do now, isn't it? Try to be better."

Corrin couldn't help but smile at the sight of her being taught the same lesson Kagero had taught him earlier that day. He didn't think he was truly capable of helping his sister with her mental ailments, not really, but if there was one person whose words she would take to heart, it was certainly her mother.

"Then that's my answer. I'm going to try to be better. Better than the woman I used to be. Better than the woman I am. I'll put all my effort towards mending the relations between Hoshido and Nohr no matter how long it takes me. I'll do everything I can to make Nohr not such an awful place to live in. And…I won't have to do it alone." She looked up again, a small smile forming. "Camilla will be there. And so will Corrin, and Ryoma, all of my siblings and my allies. My friends. And even though you might not be there physically, I know you'll be with me, too."

"Of course, my love." Mikoto pulled Kamui into a hug that was reciprocated with great enthusiasm. "I will always be with you just as I will all my children. That is simply a mother's duty."

As Kamui rested her head against Mikoto's chest, Corrin felt his guard drop completely. Gods, what was he doing here? It was his job as a leader to be cautious, yes, but it was not as if Kamui could not defend herself. More than that, though, it was his Mother. He had barely known her a day before her passing and even then he was sure of the fact that she would never harm a hair on any of her precious children's heads no matter how strong the influence of a malevolent dragon may have been. If she was truly immune to Anankos' control as she claimed, then she would prove to be exceptionally valuable. She'd spent hundreds of years in Valla, and even if the land had been reduced to nothing more than floating islands, she was surely able to provide a sort of rough navigation to Anankos' dwelling. With his mother's guidance, they could cut their travel time substantially. Not only that, but he would finally get the chance to truly know the mother that had been stolen from him twice over. Even if his family would never truly be made whole, he could at the very least cherish the company of his mother for however long they had together.

Corrin smiled. Perhaps the future would be kind to him.

"I have always and will always love you, my child. Please never forget this."

Mikoto pressed a tender kiss onto Kamui's forehead before taking a step back and touching her fingertips right to that spot. All it took was a single, gentle push to send Kamui tumbling into the sky below.

Corrin leapt from his perch without a moment's hesitation, folding in his wings and plummeting right past the edge of the drifting island. Floating masses of earth rushed past him as he fell, wind howling in his ears and his eyes watering, but he wouldn't let any of that break his concentration. The instant he wrapped his arms around Kamui's limp body, he spread his wings and caught an updraft, soaring right back up to the precipice above. He paid Mikoto no mind when he landed, only staring at his sister's face.

She'd fallen unconscious not long after being pushed, thankfully. Corrin would hate for her to have to muse on what just happened to her all the while falling through a vast and perilous sky and hoping to avoid one of the islands below.

"Ah. I should have anticipated you'd be watching us," Mikoto said, her soft smile unwavering. "You've become remarkably cautious lately."

"I have. Good leaders don't let their guards down, even when in the company of those thought to be allies." Corrin gently set Kamui down and bit his lip with such force that it threatened to draw blood. "I was…hoping you were being truthful."

"I wish I was. Still, success is more likely if one gains the trust of the enemy first before taking them out one by one, no?"

"Of course. I presume you were planning on eliminating us while we slept?"

Mikoto's smile faded as she nodded. "Yes. I'd hoped to spare Kamui at least by sending her back to the Bottomless Canyon, but as for the rest of you…well. We find ourselves in circumstances that do not allow for that." She raised her arm, and in a flash of golden light, an ornate and splendid yumi manifested in her grasp alongside a quiver of arrows on her hip. "I do wish you'd taken the opportunity to talk to me more than you did, though I understand your reasons."

Corrin glanced down at Kamui, his expression softening. "She needed you more than I did."

"That she did." Mikoto closed her eyes and took a deep breath of air. She took an arrow from her quiver and held it between two fingers. "You've both come so far. Know that I am more proud of you than you could ever know."

He felt a pang of pain in his chest. This wasn't fair. He should not have had to be doing this. He should have been rejoicing around a dining room table with his mother and father and brothers and sisters and wife and children. He should have been allowed a life of comfort and joy. But joy was not what Fate had in mind for him. Fate wanted him to suffer. Fate wanted him to bleed, fate wanted him to cry, fate wanted him to kill. Fate wanted to break him down until he was nothing but a miserable little wretch left wallowing alone in his own tears and despair.

He wouldn't give Fate the satisfaction.

The Assassin Prince stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his blade.

"Thank you, Mother."


A/N: You guys didn't think I'd leave you hanging for a whole year, did you?

I could go on and on about why this took me so long, but meh, you don't want to hear all that. What you want to do is presumably see this story reach its conclusion, so let's keep on moving towards that, shall we? Not much longer now.

This is a bittersweet chapter for our boy Corrin. One on hand, he gets to see his parents again. On the other hand, he has to "kill" both of them. At this point in his life, Corrin isn't really the type of person to burst into tears and get super sentimental when coming face to face with his mother and father, even if Kamui very much is that type of person, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt him to have to put them down like this, no matter how cold he might seem doing so.

But hey, hurting my protagonists is what I do best, isn't it?