He ignored the brilliant streaks of crimson as well as the gigantic orbs of white light streaming by him through the darkness. It was all Corrin could do to endure the mind shattering pain brought on by the combination of Azura's song and the cylinder still grasped in his right hand.

Through the haze of anguish, he began to feel his left arm move, seemingly on its own. It felt like he was a puppet on a string. But the pain was too much, he noticed the movement, but didn't do anything to stop it. In the face of what was felt like a thousand daggers carving him to pieces from the inside out, an extra oddity didn't seem relevant. It was only when his left hand closed around Azura's neck and began to squeeze that it gained his attention.

"What are you doing?" The words came out horse and disjointed as Corrin had to muster all his focus to stop himself from screaming.

"Saving your life." The Demifiend stated matter-of-factly. "It's this woman's fault that we're in this mess. If we allow her to continue singing-"

"Get your hands off of her!"

"The hell are you- HEY STOP IT!"

Corrin's hand stopped squeezing and began to tremble as both halves of the former-prince's personality struggled for dominance. Even though he was under a constant barrage of pain, Corrin did his best to push; the panic and concern for Azura fueling his will. The Demifiend fought back with the zeal one would expect from a demon, but even so, he was still weak. Being only an aspect of Corrin, it was all he could do to manifest himself enough to move, let alone fight off the more dominant personality.

The result was a stalemate as neither side was willing to back down.

"She'll kill us both." Shin argued. "I'm trying to help you!"

"Like you were trying to help me at Fort Dragonfall? The only reason you give a damn about me is your own filthy life! You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. Stop pretending otherwise!"

"You spoiled brat! What do you know? You've been trapped in a castle for the last twelve years!" The mental assault gained renewed vigor as the Fiend fumed. "You think I want this? You think I want another Chiaki?" It felt like a wyvern was ripping him apart from the inside. "Do you? DO YOU?!"

"Corrin?"

Azura's small voice cut through the anguish and the battle of wills like a knife. Her voice awakened a desperation inside of him, even as he felt Shin's assault let up for a moment. Realizing he was momentarily free from the accursed song, Corrin was able to direct his full wrath against his opponent. But even then, his foe did not lay down his arms, continuing to launch a brutal campaign in his attempt to choke Azura. What had begun as a last ditch effort to retake his body had once again returned to a stalemate.

It ended with a final glance into the songstress's eyes. They were the same shade of gold as the last light of dusk. Odd what the mind thinks in its last moments.

With a final apologetic stare, Corrin mustered the last kernel of strength within him, and ripped his hand free of Azura's neck, pushing himself away from the princess. Spiraling out of control across the endless void, Corrin could only watch in silence as Azura spun further and further away from him, continuing her trek though subspace. His other half had gone silent upon defeat, leaving the former prince all alone as he floated though nothingness.

He didn't really notice the sphere until he hit it. The feeling was much like how he expected getting hit by a horse at full gallop would feel like. And for a moment, Corrin had the wind knocked out of him. The next, he was falling. The dark night sky of interdimensional space gave way to the harsh light of day and Corrin began to feel his speed increase as gravity dragged him closer and closer to earth.

Fumbling, he tried desperately to reach into his pouch, to grab his dragonstone before he hit the ground and shattered every bone in his body. Already, the G-forces from the fall were starting to make him dizzy and was he being strangled? His cape! The piece of fabric had gotten tangled around his neck Damn, even now he could barely see and-

A foreign object slammed into him and once more he was sent reeling. He heard a higher pitched voice, probably a woman's by the sound of it, swear and what sounded like a horse neigh in panic.

Finally! He managed to fish his dragonstone out of his pouch, and with a sudden flash of light he transformed, shedding his cape and finally giving him the wings he needed to halt his decent. But there was hardly any time to celebrate. His senses were screaming at him to move, to dodge to the side, anything. Not questioning the impulse, the dragon hurled himself to the right even as the brave lance skewered the air he had been a moment earlier.

What was that? A Pegasus?! Corrin thought in desperation, readying himself for combat. However, the impulse only lasted an instant as he realized that the attack had not been entirely unwarranted. So that's what I hit on my way down. Ugh, I guess that explains the neighing.

Only taking a moment to appreciate the irony that he was probably about to save someone that wanted to kill him, Corrin plunged down to the earth like a majestic silver bullet, turning his body and grabbing onto the Pegasus and its rider before they could strike the ground. The good news was that he didn't get stabbed by the knight's spear. The bad was that he was nowhere near strong enough to fly carrying all of their weight.

But then again, situations like this were why the First Dragons invented lakes, and with a gigantic splash, the dragon, Pegasus, and rider fell below the surface.

Azura continued to float in between the worlds. She had stopped trying to make sense of it a while back. The human mind wasn't made for such an environment. Existing beyond time, beyond any recognizable laws or rules, beyond mind or matter; it was maddening.

"Y—'ve g-t to -e k-d—ng." The voice was undeniably female, and though it was soft, almost seductive even, there was an unmasked cruelty to it. Hovering at the edge of unconsciousness, Azura still could barely suppress a shudder. And what was this feeling of déjà vu?

"Certainly o-t -f char-cter." A male voice observed. "To think he would let her live. Well, this is certainly fortuitous for us. It would have been disastrous for her to die to your… carelessness."

"Oh choke on an angel's spear!" The first voice complained. The voices were becoming clearer. Either they were getting closer, or the mere act of talking was helping Azura to come back to her senses. "We could have stopped him if it was about to go too far. What I'm concerned about is a Fiend showing mercy!" She spat the last word out like it was the vilest concoction known to man. "Ugh. You hear so much about a guy. Shin Managi this, Demifiend that. Grrr. Our master promised I would get a chance to break the abomination in his prime. Instead I get to see a spoiled brat flounder about while making goo-goo eyes at some weak willed pile of-" The voice stopped. "Oh my goodness she's awake."

"W-what?" The male voice asked in alarm.

"I said she's awake you moron! She can hear us!" Before Azura could respond an ivory clawed hand with crimson, varicose veins was clasped over her face preventing her from seeing anything. "Not that it matters much, Loki, but I expect you to pay more close attention in the future. It is hardly the responsibility of the mistress to clean up the table scraps after a meal. That duty belongs to the dog."

"Milady, I believe Managi has made his way into another world." The man who must have been Loki answered, ignoring the woman's jab. Azura's vision began to go black from the pressure of the claw. "I suggest we wipe her memory of this event and be done with it."

"…" A growl and the claw tightened.

Just as the darkness overwhelmed her, Azura heard a small chuckle in ear. "You know, you really ought feel honored, princess. After all, you still have quite the role to play, albeit an unwilling one perhaps."

"I despise lakes." Corrin grumbled as he dragged himself from the water for what felt like the hundredth timer. Looking at the red haired knight already on the shore, he dropped the saddle bag onto the beach. "There, that should be the last of it, happy?"

"No, but it will have to do." She bit her lip in distaste.

"You know; a little gratitude would be nice."

"You incapacitated my Pegasus, ruined my mission, and almost killed me."

"And you tried to stab me. I think that makes us even." Corrin glanced at the Pegasus sitting next to their make-shift campsite, it's right wing, bent at an odd angle. "Though I am sorry about your partner. I was caught off guard,"

The woman sighed. "As was I. Manaketes are hardly commonplace in this day and age. I never expected to run into one."

"Literally too."

She glared at him. "Anyways, I thought you were a Plegian who had somehow caught up to me. It would certainly explain that white hair of yours." Again she sighed. "Not that it matters much now. I'll never get to the exalt in time. My sisters, they all…"

Corrin watched as she descended into silence. He didn't need to ask to figure out what had happened. Normally it would be best to give her some space for a while, but some of the things she had said rubbed him the wrong way.

Plegians… I feel like I've hear that before… Where was it… had something to do with an amnesiac… and a really rude knight. He snapped his fingers as the memory came to him. "That's right!" He smiled at the suspicious face of the red haired woman, his outburst ripping her from her grief. "Hey this probably seems a bit out of the blue here, but we wouldn't happen to be in Ylisse by any chance, would we?"

"Yes…" The voice answered slowly.

Corrin smiled at this rare moment of luck in the shipwreck that was his life. "Damn, what are the odds? You wouldn't happen to know a Chrom by any chance, would you? Maybe a Robin or a Lissa? Hell, I'll even take a Frederick at this point."

Before Corrin could blink he had been thrown to the ground and restrained. "What do you know of the prince? Answer me now."

"Why do I always get the crazy ones?" He mused. The grip tightened but did not injure. She was a soldier, Corrin realized. She wouldn't attack a citizen unprovoked, but if that citizen was a threat to her liege… The trust would be best. "I fought alongside him before. My servants and I aided him in taking down some, eh, very particular foes." When her grip didn't loosen, he continued. "Look, if what you said about getting to the exalt in time is true, we don't have time for this. I may not know this exalt personally, but if they're a relative of Chrom's I want to help."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because you ran into me at full speed on a Pegasus and I shrugged it off. Frankly, if I was going to kill you I could do it right now. Also I probably wouldn't have saved you, but that's beside the point."

"Sounds like a good reason to keep you where you are."

Corrin shrugged. "Perhaps, but that won't save your boss, will it?" Then softer. "Please, Chrom is a friend of mine. If he's in danger, I want to help him."

There was a long moment before she finally got off. "Fine." The woman glanced around, her gaze eventually falling on her Pegasus. "Let's assume you're telling the truth. We still have a bit of a problem."

"Not as much as you'd think." A voice once again cut through Corrin's consciousness like a knife.

What do you want fiend? Corrin asked, making no effort to hide the venom in his mental voice.

"Oh come on, there's no need for that." The voice sneered. "After all, I'm not going to kill anyone. You've made your stance on that abundantly clear. Oh no, I'm not going to hurt anything. I'm going to heal it."

An hour later the recently acquainted pair was flying at breakneck speed towards Chrom's position, desperate to make up for lost time. Through it all Corrin's head swam with largely uncomfortable thoughts.

Even after all the things he did, all the things he said, I still needed his help. Corrin thought bitterly. It's no different from back then. Have I really not grown at all since the battle with Ose? Am I really that useless by myself?

No voice answered his questions. Outside of helping with the Pegasus, the Demifiend had been remarkably silent. He was probably still pissed at him, the bastard. Corrin was under no illusions about their relationship at this point. He needed him. If Corrin died, he would die as well. But that was the extent of their alliance.

And yet… His memory flashed back to the healing. After the Dia spell had reknit the shattered bones and restored the blood flow to normal, the Pegasus had bowed its head low to the former-prince.

What the- why?

"You really shouldn't be that surprised." The Fiend's voice sounded bored, but there was the fairest trace of pride mixed in as well. "The pegasi used in Ylisse and Hoshido are distant descendants of the original, mythical one that flew forth from the neck of the gorgon Medusa. As a member of the Beast tribe it was subservient to Cerberus, who in turn is subservient to me."

Cerberus?

"The leader of the beast tribe. His was the fourth to rally to my banner against Kagutsuchi; after the Fairy, Brute, and Night tribes of course." The Demifiend said as the Pegasus nuzzled its head on Corrin's hand, much to Cordelia's shock. "Such a loyal creature. Even through all these generations it still remembers its heritage. You could stand to learn something from this, Corrin."

And what is that? Blind obedience?

"No. To trust your instincts."

And yet how can I trust my instincts when I share this body with a psychotic demon? Corrin lamented. How do I even know if you're influencing me or not? Just what am I becoming?

"Hey did you hear me?" Cordelia's voice dragged him out of his thoughts.

"Uhh, sorry didn't catch that."

Another sigh. "I was just saying I see smoke in the distance. I think we're getting close."

"Really? That's amazing! I never knew how fast a Pegasus could be."

"She's normally even faster but she isn't used to carrying two people at a time."

"I mean; I did offer to fly on my own." Corrin had to hold a hand over his mouth to keep from swallowing the Pegasus Knight's crimson hair.

She shook her head. "No. We need to keep you a secret for as long as possible. If you were able to shrug off a Pegasus flying into you at top speed, well… I doubt the Plegians will be able to stop you." She chuckled. "You know, I heard stories about manaketes as a child, but I never really believed them until now. To think, that your race is really that strong."

"That uh, might be due to something else." Corrin mumbled. But the sound of her laughing had reminded him of something, or rather someone. "Hey, weird question, but you haven't ever been to Nohr before, have you?"

"Huh? I mean, I know I was just talking about stories, but is now really the time to joke?"

"Ah, I'll take that as a no." Weird, she looks just like Selena. Same hair color, same face, even the same eyes. They could be sisters. Well to be fair, Selena is FAR more competitive. She would have probably had me fly just so she could beat me in a race. I don't know how Camila keeps her in line, really.

"Alright, here we go, hold on tight!" Cordelia yelled brandishing her lance and preparing to dive.

Corrin's felt himself blush. "Hold on? To what?!"

"Just grab my waist and try not to scream!"

Chrom grimaced as he swiftly dispatched another two Plegians. Despite Robin's best strategic efforts the enemy's air superiority was too much. If things kept up like this for much longer they'd be overwhelmed.

"Prince Chrom!"

"What?" Chrom's eyes darted toward the sky just in time to see a streak of white and ruby darting across the blue sky. Naga's blessings! Is that Cordelia? "Robin, the sky!"

Robin parried the oncoming Plegian before blasting him point blank with a well-timed thoron. "What? Preparations are almost done." He looked to the sky and took note of the new combatants. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. "Sumia! Cover her and get her down to safety. Ricken, Miriel, Virion, suppressing fire! Everyone else, fall back to cliffs." He looked to Chrom. "Chrom, how many wind tomes do we have?"

"Not enough to take out that many wyvern riders."

"Damn." Robin cursed. "Plan B. Get me all the lantern oil and fire times we have and-" Robin's eyes widened. "Hey Chrom, there aren't any dragons in the Pegasus Knights, are there?"

"No, why do you-" Chrom followed Robin's glance and locked onto the silver dragon that was currently decimating the Plegian wyvern riders. "Hey, doesn't that look like-"

"Corrin behind you!"

Corrin sheathed his claws in and spun below the ax, partially triggering his dragonstone as he did. Grabbing the wyvern's claw with his tail, the former-prince swung himself up onto the saddle, kicking the unfortunate Plegian off his own wyvern. Transforming his left hand into something more akin to the gaping maw of a beast than any claw she had ever seen, Cordelia watched as he blasted several bursts of what looked like water, knocking four other riders from their mounts.

Diving off the back of the now rider-less wyvern, he retriggered the stone, shifting back into his winged form as he moved onto the next soldier.

Cordelia was speechless. Corrin was mowing through enemy soldiers at a rate where even she was having trouble keeping out. But even with his help, it wasn't enough. There must have been at least twenty wyvern riders when they had arrived, and now thirty more had arrived from across the border. They were desperately outnumbered.

"Cordy!"

"Huh? Sumia!" Cordelia said happily. "Thank the gods! Tell me we have a plan."

The brown haired Pegasus knight nodded as she fell into formation at Cordelia's side. "Robin's pulling everyone back to the Cliffside."

"The new tactician? I thought he was Plegian? Why's he helping us?"

"It's fine he's on our side." Sumia answered while parrying an incoming ax. "But we need to rendezvous fast. He's got something in the works but he doesn't want to deploy it until we're safely on the ground." She paused and glanced at the silver dragon currently slashing at Plegians with his tail. "Who's your friend?"

"Just someone I ran into." Cordelia muttered with a small smile. "He said he knew the captain."

"He knows Chrom?" Sumia asked sharply. "And you're sure he isn't lying?"

Cordelia motioned for Corrin to fly over to her. "If he is, I don't think there's much we could do to stop him."

Corrin watched in awe as the huge clouds of smoke wafted up into the sky. Robin had set to burning the vines and bushes that dotted the Cliffside, using anything flammable really. Lantern oil, ale, everything was being used. But the plant life present was soaked by recent rainfall, so instead of burning bright and pure as it should have, it instead gave off huge clouds of smoke, obscuring the skies and making it almost impossible to see. For those on the ground, it was an annoyance. For those in the skies with a massive cliff to avoid, it was fatal.

"Archers, let loose!" Robin yelled as another three riders careened into the Cliffside. "Mages, thunder tomes only. I repeat, thunder only, we cannot risk blowing away that smoke."

It was a display of skill even his brother Leo would have been envious of. What had begun as an enemy ambush had turned into a Ylissian route.

"Surprised?" Chrom asked as he approached. "Robin's really come into his own over the last few months."

"I can tell," Corrin remarked. "It looks like he really has managed to pull everything together. But aren't you celebrating a little early? The fight's hardly over yet."

Chrom laughed. "The fight ended the moment you and Cordelia bought us enough time to setup our little game. They just don't know it yet." He sat down next to Corrin and the pair watched as the dark shadows flying through the ever encompassing smoke began to lessen and lessen, eventually disappearing all together. "I have to say though, you're the last person I expected to see flying to our rescue. No offense."

"None taken. If memory serves I made quite the exit last time. "

"Tell me about it. What was that? A flash of light and the next second you and your friends vanish into thin air." Chrom shook his head in disbelief. "If I hadn't seen it myself I'd have never believed it."

"Oh ya that… to make a long story short, the patron goddess of your country was slightly irritated that I came to Ylisse without her permission. Luckily she let me off with a warning."

"Right. And I'm guessing she let you go cause she was smitten with you as well?"

Corrin grinned. "Well, that might have been a part of it… But seriously! It was some green haired dragon named Naga I think." Corrin said. "Said she had something to do with your sword."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Naga? You don't say."

"You still don't believe, me do you?"

"Come on Corrin, you have to admit it's a little farfetched, even from a manakete."

"But don't you worship Naga, how could I know about her?"

"I don't know, maybe Cordelia told you."

Corrin chuckled. "Oh ya, in between all the attempted murder I bet. We really hit it off, the two of us."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Eh it wasn't that bad. Just came out of nowhere." Corrin paused for a moment. "In fact my being here is kind of out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I could help and all, but I never really intended to come back. It just sort of happened."

Chrom shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. You really helped us carry the day."

"I'll try not to make a habit of it." Corrin joked. "But in all seriousness, I'm afraid I don't quite know how to make my exit."

"Trying to one up yourself?"

"Always, but this is more of a 'I don't know how to get home' kind of problem." He let out a short breath in frustration. "Hell, I don't even know how I got here. It happened so fast."

Chrom looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Well, if you're looking for a place to stay, you're free to stay with the Shepherds for a while."

Corrin was stunned. "Are… are you sure?"

"Of course. You're a good person Corrin. And a hell of a fighter to boot. You'd fit in well here, that much I'm certain of."

It was tempting, oh gods was it tempting. To live in a world where people actually liked him and didn't want to kill him as a traitor? That was, well honestly it was a little weird. But still… He smiled and shook his head. "Sorry Chrom, I'm afraid I can't do that. After all, what would Lilith and Kaze say when we eventually reunited. I imagine I'd be hung up by my wings for a week." he chuckled. "And that's to say nothing of Camilla and Xander. In all honesty, it's probably be less painful if you executed me than if I stayed. At least you'd be quick."

"Wow. Sounds like you have quite the home to return to."

"Ya." Corrin agreed. "But, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"You will meet my sister tomorrow though." Chrom continued. "After all, you're a noble from a foreign nation who's helped us multiple times, we can't let that go unappreciated."

"You really don't have to."

"I insist. Besides, if there is a way to get you home it'll be in the libraries of Ylisse." He winked. "And what better way to get in there than a letter from the Exalt herself."

Corrin didn't really have an argument for that so instead decided to lean back and enjoy the sight of a hard won victory.

Later that night, after the Shepherds had moved to a far more secure and defensible position, the campfires were lit, the alcohol broken out, and the celebration begun in earnest.

As someone who had been sealed in castle for most of his life, it was new experience for Corrin. Sure he had been to a few balls and festivals, but nothing like the raw unfiltered spectacle he saw before himself now. The dancing, the drinking, the storytelling he was a part of it all. When everyone heard about not only how he had helped Cordelia get to them in time, but also how he had helped repel the mysterious invaders in the South with Chrom, they had welcomed him with open arms.

And open cups as he found out. After a few hours of celebration Corrin found his head was flying higher than the Pegasus he had been riding earlier that day.

Another few hours of dancing and storytelling later, Corrin snuck off to the side and watched the proceedings with a half drunken smile. After all he had been through, it was nice to have even a slight reprieve of happiness.

He looked up at the sky and was less than surprised to see a whole different sky staring down at him. He couldn't recognize a single star. The scene brought back memories of the world in between dimensions, as well as the companion he had left behind there. I wonder how Azura is doing. Did she find a world like I did? Damn, I hope she's alright.

"Looks like you're having fun." He looked up to see Cordelia smiling down at him. "You done already?"

"On the contrary I'm just taking a break." Corrin replied pushing the thoughts of the Hoshidan princess from his mind. "You on the other hand, I haven't seen you all night."

"Someone has to stand on guard. Besides, after everything that's happened... well I'm not sure I'm in the mood to celebrate just yet."

Right her entire squad was murdered yesterday. No wonder she doesn't feel like partying. Wow, what kind of a moron am I to forget that?

"But I also wanted to talk to you."

He was genuinely surprised to hear that. Unfortunately, his drunk self was the first to speak up. "Oh? I'm a luckier man that I thought."

She groaned. "Are you always like this?"

"No, but I might have had a few to many." He laughed. "Who would have known dragons could get drunk, huh?"

"Dragon Virion. Oh the horror."

Corrin laughed again. "That's a little much don't you think? I'm bad, but nowhere near Virion levels."

"Perhaps." She conceded. "Anyways, I wanted to thank you for your help. I don't know if we would have been able to hold off the riders without it."

"… Are you sure you haven't had anything to drink? This is nothing like the knight who pinned me to the ground this morning."

"That was before you helped us." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, if Chrom trusts you, I trust you."

Corrin nodded. "I swear if he put you up to trying to get me to stay…"

"No, I'm just thanking a friend."

"Well in that case, you're welcome. And thank you for helping me to find a place to stay for the night. It err… it means a lot. I've been on the move for a while now. To be able to sit down and finally rest, even just for a night, well it means the world."

"Wow, you have had a few too many. You're getting emotional."

"Try not tell anyone."

She smiled. "Take care Corrin. May your journey bring you peace."

"You too Cordelia. You too."

All his life, Corrin had heard stories of dawn. How it's supposed to be beautiful and hopeful. Living in Nohr, a kingdom of near perpetual darkness had only made the light seem that much more magical. Hoshido had been wondrous in that regard. Being able to see what he had often heard about. Even now he still held a little bit of wonder for the early morning sun.

That ended today.

UGH. My head. Kill. Me.

Then the trumpets began to play and everything got worse.

Corrin's eyes shot open in irritation. What the hell were these people thinking? It's not like there's a damned royal precision going- "Oh."

Forcing himself to get up, and dusting off his jet black armor as best as possible, the Nohrian Noble tried to push aside his hangover and put on a brave face. If he was going to act as the envoy between Nohr and the ruler of this country, he would have to be at least semi-presentable.

"Oh gods, I didn't even know my head could feel like this."

He found Chrom, Lissa, and Robin waiting in the center of camp. Smiling at Robin and returning Lissa's wave he took his place in line along with Frederick who greeted him with a stiff but respectful nod.

Not quite sure what to expect when it came to the Exalt's appearance, he couldn't help but be a little surprised to find that she was a woman only a few years older than Camilla.

He was even more surprised when he saw her traveling companion.

"Azura?!" Corrin stammered, all thoughts of etiquette forgotten the instant he caught sight of the blue haired princess.

Azura froze in shock as she made eye contact with him. "Corrin?! What are you doing here?"

"That's what I was about to ask you! Last time I saw you, uh, well…" Corrin's face reddened in embarrassment as the memory came back. But for some reason Azura merely looked at him in confusion. Did she not remember?

"So you must be Corrin." The voice was soft yet regal. "I thank you for aiding my brother both here and in the south." Emmeryn said, smiling gently at him.

Corrin kneeled. "It was nothing your grace. He helped me defeat an enemy of mine."

"I'm happy to hear it." She said, motioning for him to stand back up. "From what Azura's told me, there are more than few out there who want to see the two of you dead."

"Oh, have you two been talking about me? I'm not sure whether to be flattered or concerned." Corrin raised an eyebrow at Azura but she gave nothing away.

Emmeryn chuckled. "You'll have to take that up with your friend." Her smile faded a little as she grew serious. "So do you expect to stay with us long? As I said, I have spoken with Azura at length and she seemed a bit confused as to where we were." She looked Corrin in the eyes and spoke slowly. "However, she stressed you both ought to leave as soon as possible. The reason why though I can only guess."

"Quite. Apparently neither Nohr nor Hoshido is anything more than a legend in these parts. Even some of the beasts found there are nothing more than stories." Azura said and though her voice was as emotionless as ever, her eyes flashed as she looked at Corrin. "Thankfully though, the Exalt has been more than accommodating to me."

The message was not lost on then noble. So Azura is worried the demons might follow us here. Corrin thought grimly. I didn't even think of that. All the more reason to get back home as soon as possible. But it doesn't look like she explained to the Exalt about Ose… I'll need to be discreet..."

"It was only decent." Emmeryn answered. "What else would we have done, leave you floating on that branch in the river? Never."

"Picking up a random stranger you just met, offering them food, shelter and the chance to ride beside you." Robin said softly as he glanced at Chrom. "All of a sudden everything makes sense." Lissa snorted and Fredrick groaned while both Chrom and Emmeryn looked lost.

"I am very grateful to your hospitality your grace." Azura said, trying to get the conversation back on track. "It was very noble of you to help me."

"Yes, thank you." Corrin added before wincing. "But if it's not too much to ask, would it be possible to get access to the royal library?"

"Corrin is looking for a way to get back to his own world." Chrom said. "I told him the library would be the best place to research a way back home."

Emmeryn nodded. "Of course. Though, how did you come to be here in the first place?"

Corrin scratched his head. "I don't really know myself. All I really remember is that there was this weird cylinder type thing." Perhaps it's best not to mention the song. I wouldn't want to dump suspicion on Azura. And I definitely shouldn't mention the Demifiend as that will certainly send hostility my way.

"Oh you mean this?" Azura extended a hand holding the very same artifact that had ripped them out of space time. "I found it my pocket when I came to."

"Alright, even you have to find that suspicious." The Fiend's voice was sharp and almost out of nowhere. In addition, Corrin got the feeling the consciousness was even more on edge than usual.

I'll admit nothing.

"Get over yourself. This is weird and you know it! Besides, if you're not polite I won't help you get home."

Who says I want to go back?

The voice growled. "Can we skip the game please? I'm you remember? I was listening to your whole speech with Chrom yesterday. I was also watching you make a fool of yourself, but I'll ridicule you about that later. More importantly, fighting in another world without permission breaks a LOT of interdimensional laws. Trust me, you do not want to give anyone an excuse to attack you."

Are you that afraid?

"Hey, don't get me wrong. Normally I'd wipe the floor with those losers, but right now our body is being piloted by an eighteen-year-old brat with an ego large enough to block out the sun."

Corrin's eye twitched. Just- just open up the portal.

"Good answer."

Corrin looked up to see everyone present staring at him. "Uh did I miss something?"

"Kind of?" Lissa said. "You were just staring off into space for a bit."

"We were beginning to wonder if we should bring you to the medical tent." Robin added.

He waved them down. "I'm fine. Better than fine actually. I think I can get Azura and myself home."

"Huh?" Chrom gasped. "How?"

Corrin picked up the cylinder out of Azura's hand. "Honestly, no clue. But my inner jerk knows how to use it." Ready?

"Yes, but the blue haired witch stays. She's shady enough as is. I don't want her close enough to cause any damage."

We are not having this conversation now. Azura is coming and that's final.

"FINE." Corrin was surprised by how quickly he relented. "But only because theres something wrong about this world right now. It's almost as though we're being watched." If disembodied voices could shiver, this one did. "Also, you watch another memory in return, understood?"

No promises. Corrin responded.

"Ugh, that's as good as I'm gonna get isn't it?" The Fiend sighed. "Very well, might as well play nice for now. Maybe then you'll stop being such a colossal-

Just get on with it.

"All aboard the SS Amala it is then kiddies! Next stop Nohr!"

The sorceress sighed from her perch on the top of the cliff as Azura and Corrin said their goodbyes and entered the portal. "What a disappointment. He barely even reacted! What's the point in messing with mortals if they don't have the decency to overreact?" She scowled. "What a brat."

"Milady, they did have a bit of a moment."

"Not NEARLY enough Loki." She fumed.

"So if you're done complaining… Are we finished here?" he droned.

"Stuff it Loki. I'm not in the mood."

The demon chuckled. "But why? For our first ever test run, this went far better than we could have ever hoped." His smile widened. "After all, our diva's song has certainly exceeded my expectations."

"Hmph. Are you saying you doubted our master's predictions?"

"Hardly. I was just… concerned. A mix of Anankos's blood and Managi's soul? Well, that is definitely new territory. As such I was uncertain our favorite princess's song would have any affect. Needless to say my worries have been put to rest."

"I'll admit she has her uses. But she's SO boring! What use is a doll if she's not entertaining?!"

"Oh come now, she is more than that."

The woman shrugged. "Not after we're through with her, she won't be."

Loki frowned. He hated when she got like this. It made her rash and unpredictable, even more so than usual. It was time to get this conversation back on track. "I've received a report that the neutral demons have made their move. Apparently Ose thought it would be a good idea to attack the Demifiend's attendants during his absence."

"Ahhh, did the poor kitty lose a life?"

"Apparently so. It would probably be best to return home and fully assess the situation."

"Oh?" The woman cooed. "Are you that frightened, dear?"

"No, nothing major happened. Pixie just handed out a couple of COMPs. Do try not to get too excited."

"… Then why are we talking about it?"

"Because they were given to Kaze and Lilith." Loki waited for her reaction but was greeted with only a blank stare. Rolling his eyes, he continued. "The Demifiend's attendants I mentioned? The two servants that have been traveling with him since Hoshido?"

"Oh, the cute ninja and Managi's sister."

"Honestly milady, this is necessary information."

"Yes, because a dog breeder cares about the mutts as much as the purebreds. Loki, if they were worth my notice, I would have recalled them." She answered, dusting off her uniform as she stood. "But still. COMPs you say? Do we have any idea as to their demons?"

"Koga Saburo has been identified, milady."

"Hmm, Koga Saburo you say? I didn't expect the Dragon tribe to get involved. It might be time to pay them a visit after all. Though…" She paused thinking to herself before shaking her head. "No. On second thought, let them play with the Assembly. What do I care if they rip each other to pieces?"

"Probably for the best, milady. We wouldn't to play our hand too soon."

"Unfortunately I have to agree. Have we decided on our next step?"

Loki nodded. "Yes. A neutral city called Cyrkensia. It should be a small matter to-" He stopped, breaking into a large smile. "My, my, and just to whom do we owe this pleasure?"

"What are you yapping about now?" The woman growled, turning around sharply. Upon seeing their unexpected guest, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And… you are?"

Naga glared at the two interlopers, her vibrant emerald eyes flashing with anger. "Mind your tongue demon. You are the ones who have trespassed into my world. I allowed the Demifiend passage due to his amnesia and his neutrality, but you bring the blight of war with you. I will not have this country become a battlefield between Law and Chaos. Be gone!"

The sorcerous stared at the manakete as if she couldn't quite decide whether this was the funniest or saddest thing she had ever seen. "Loki, who is this?"

The demon scratched his chin as he thought. "My apologies milady, but I'm not sure. Though by the ears, perhaps some sort of half breed? She does radiate a power similar to that obnoxious Silent Dragon."

"So not a demon?"

"Absolutely not."

"Wonderful. And here I was thinking something interesting had happened." The woman yawned. "Ya, you've caught me in a merciful mood, so I'll give you this one chance to walk away-" She stopped and smirked. "Alright, I can't even say that with a straight face. Any last words before we start? A name perhaps?"

"Neither who nor what I am is relevant." Naga retorted. "This is your final warning. If you do not leave this world, I will make you." Green eddies of power began to gather around her as she spoke. "Leave. Or make your peace."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" The white haired woman cackled with laughter. Feeling a shiver of dread crawl up her spine, Naga watched as the demon's ally, Loki backed away from his mistress by a few steps. Eventually the woman seemed to get a hold of herself, wiping away the tears that her laughter had brought to her eyes. "Oh god, that bravado. This is just… absolute perfection. Bravo, bravo! See Loki, this is what I was talking about! An insect that knows her place."

"And that would be?" Naga demanded, her voice dangerously low.

"Entertaining your betters of course." The woman replied, straightening her posture and beginning to remove her cape and letting it fall to the ground. "Keep this up and I might end up sparing you after all. But seriously, who are you? I prefer to know the names of my jesters."

"Yours first demon." Naga's voice carried far more confidence than she felt. There was a sense of menace to this woman that she couldn't quite place and she would be damned before she told this woman anything of value.

"That's hardly fair as I asked first but hey, whatever." The woman gave a mocking, overly accentuated bow. "Just where are my manors. I am Lady Kamui, valedictorian of Nohr's Sorcerer's Academy, recently inducted nobility of that same kingdom, and though I hate to disappoint you, completely authentic human."

Naga scowled. "Impossible. You radiate demonic power to such a degree that I can barely look at you without feeling the urge to throw up. There's no way you could be human."

Kamui giggled. "Ah, that would be this." She pointed to a wing shaped tattoo on her left cheek. "It's called an Atma. Want to see what it does?"

Naga responded with a tsunami of divine breath fired from her outstretched right hand. The torrent of light magic cascaded toward the pair, tearing up the earth as it traveled. The accompanying roar was deafening, rivaling that of the dragon that unleashed the energy. Save the Breath of Naga, the divine dragon's attack was far stronger than any magical tome on the planet.

And Kamui slapped it aside with the back of her left hand.

The white haired sorcerous smirked at the bewildered manakete, her ruby eyes gleaming with menace as she stared down her prey. "Oh? Are we starting? I'm so sorry, I hadn't realized…"

"H-how? W-what are you?" Naga stammered in horror.

"Loki, cancel our dinner plans." Kamui commanded as the tattoo on her cheek began to emit a sickly yellow-green light. "I'm going to partake in some seared meat before we return home."

"Lady Kamui, we don't have any time for-" He sighed in submission as he realized the futility of his request. "At least try be quick about it. Please don't play too long with your food."

By this point Naga had realized that she far out of her depth. Whatever monsters were standing before her easily put her power to shame. It was time to make an exit. She would unleash another burst of divine breath, this time at the ground to stir up dust, and then escape during the confusion. From there, she didn't know what she could do. Perhaps ask Corrin for help? She hated to even consider it but-

The thought came a moment too late as Kamui activated her Atma, transforming and disappearing in the time it took to blink. Faster than even Naga's eye could track, the demonic figure reappeared in front of her, a wicked skeletal claw curving up towards her neck. Desperate Naga fired two blasts of divine breath together in front of her, knocking herself back with the ensuing shockwave.

Or at least that was the plan, but Kamui didn't even flinch in the face of the blast. Instead she turned, her spine curling as the striking claw instead reached out and latched onto the goddess's ankle preventing Naga from escaping.

Cackling once again, Kamui slammed Naga into the ground before lifting her up once more and hurling her across the makeshift arena.

Even with her head ringing and starry spots crowding her vision, Naga forced herself to look up. She finally got a good look at the abomination striding lazily towards her. She was the same height as she had been pre-transformation, but where there had been flawless skin there was now white skeletal outcroppings jutting out from scaled ivory flesh. Translucent gemlike structures ran across the surface of the scales, looking like crimson veins. Her head no longer had any hair, instead sporting a white and red crest that looked like a cross between a headdress and a demon's horns. Her eyes were still the same though, and had lost none of their malice.

Desperate Naga let loose everything she had, a burst of power that could the burn the air itself. Kamui sprinted head first into it, still laughing like a maniac. Looking like a shadow of death the figure emerged from the burst of power, her claws once again at Naga's throat. Diving to her left, the Divine Dragon struck at the ground instead, trying to throwing her footing off.

For a moment it worked and Naga jumped back, buying her a few more meter from this predator.

This was not a fight Naga could win. She knew that now. Whatever an Atma was, it put this woman on par with the strongest of demons. And from what she could tell, this Kamui wasn't even trying yet. Her only hope was flight. It would take half a second to open a portal back to Mount Prism. Once there her power should spike, allowing her to close the portal almost instantly as well as hide her presence. It was a gamble, but she was betting that they would leave rather than spend the time to search for her.

Either that or they would just blow up the entire planet, but there wasn't much she could do to stop that.

"You know; you never did say your name…" The voice was slightly more guttural than it was pre-transformation.

Naga blinked and the figure was in front of her again and she was contemptuously kicked away. As the dragon once again tried to gain her bearing, Kamui snapped her fingers and unleashed a blast of Providence, incinerating the air and earth surrounding the divine dragon.

It was just the break she needed. Light could not hurt her; it was hers to command. What Kamui had intended to use to torture the dragon had instead given her the opening she needed to escape. Hidden in the flash of harsh light, Naga ripped open an escape route and threw herself into it.

Naga's breathing was harsh as she desperately erected her defenses. The escape had lasted all of half a second, but she could still feel her heart beating wildly out of control. She was just considering how lucky she was to still be alive when she felt a skeletal hand grasp onto her ankle.

Kamui pulled her back through the portal and hurled her into the dirt. "Did you honestly think you could escape? I've been fighting demons for years. Years! And not weak, pathetic little scraps of meat like you. I'm talking prime gods and goddesses. Even angels! Trust me, I know how to keep my toys from running away." Her fangs curled into a demented smile. "Do you feel that? The despair clawing at your insides? Oh how I love the way it makes my prey taste."

She could feel it. But there was a small vestige of hope left as well. She had one card left to play, a spell that would take advantage of the one undeniable rule put onto demons by the Great Will.

Demons could not time travel. It was intrinsic. A failsafe laid out by the Great Will itself to prevent them from affecting causality and the cycle of death and rebirth of the Amala multiverse. It was the same reason why there was only one of each of the named demons. If there were two Metatron's for instance their choices could cancel out. If there were two Shin Managi's then it wouldn't matter if one chose to become a True demon or not, it would happen and the entire multiverse would end. In order to ensure that choice mattered for beings of sufficient power, time travel and multiple selves were unquestionably banned. But this limitation did not apply to humans and other weaker beings. In the infinite number of parallel worlds there was an infinite number of parallel versions of Naga. It didn't matter, she was too weak to change fate so the limitation need not apply to her.

But Kamui was undoubtedly on that level, as was Loki. And though it would probably sap her strength for the greater part of three years, it was her only hope.

Naga closed her eyes and began to chant. She had never used the spell before, but Lucina and the other children from the future were living proof that she did have the ability.

"Are you still trying? UGH! Just give up already. There is nothing you can do. Nothing I can't shatter. So just lie down and die. Or maybe you'd rather I turn you into my slave? One little charm spell and you'll be at my beck and call. I'll inevitably get bored with you, but hey, you'd have a few more weeks of life. Can't get much fairer than that."

Half way there, she just needed a few more seconds…

"Lady Kamui, if I might provide some advice."

Another second or two…

"Make it quick Loki, I've just about tired with this filthy little maggot."

The demon smirked. "I just thought you'd want to know; I believe she's about to open a time portal."

"WHAT?!" Kamui thundered incredulously.

Done! Right as the Atma wielder turned on the dragon, unrestrained fury in her eyes, the temporal rift cut through reality, opening a massive eye shaped portal on the ground beneath Naga's feet and sucking her through to a point hopefully beyond harm's reach.

But that didn't stop Kamui from launching a Raging Hellfire at the portal. A titanic barrage of unyielding flame, the sound of which would be heard for well over a hundred leagues. But whether or not it hit the divine dragon remained a mystery as when the smoke cleared, the portal, and the dragon, were completely gone.

Kamui glared at the crater where the portal had closed a moment earlier. She had reverted to her human form and Loki had handed her back her discarded cape. "We need to find her."

"Not necessarily." Loki answered softly. His mistress was dangerous enough when she was in a good mood. Right now she was liable to do something stupid if he made a misstep. "She didn't hear anything critical and she's far too weak to stop us even if she did. Let her escape. Besides, I doubt she survived that last attack of yours."

"But-"

"Milady, we have pressing work to do back in Nohr. So if you want to blow off some steam, why don't you just destroy this world and be done with it." Loki smiled evilly. "But then of course, do be prepared to explain to our master why you attracted such needless attention for something as paltry as stress relief. Especially when we are now in the critical stages of our mission."

The woman said nothing, merely reattaching her cloak before ripping open a portal back to Nohr with a snap of her fingers. Though she would never admit it out loud, Loki was right. This battle had been a disappointment, but there would be more to come. Besides, if all went according to plan, she would soon have a much more entertaining dance partner.

Author's Note-

Sorry for the severe hiatus between uploads. A combination of schoolwork and needing a break took their toll, but I should be uploading fairly regularly again. The time between chapters will probably be closer to the 3-4 week range than 2 though.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this! It was a blast to write and I hope you had as much fun with the fight in the end as I did. (Even if it might have been a tad one sided.)

Disclaimer- This is a nonprofit, fan-based work. All characters and settings belong to their respective owners.

Next Time- Corrin and Azura are behind enemy lines while Kaze and Lilith begin their journey as demon tamers.