Chapter 9 - Ghosts in the Mist

Corrin ducked low as a raining barrage of fire scorched the plains mere yards away. Flames licked at the outcropping of stone that was all that stood between them and the bombardment.

Then the rumbling stilled once more, the last embers dying as the siege crews prepared to reload for the next volley.

"Quickly, this way," he heard Robin whisper, motioning with a hand for himself and Lucina to follow.

Once again, Corrin started after them, the tactician and princess leading him on a winding route through the battlefield. Often the route nearly doubled back on itself in wide loops. While it would have seemed odd to outside eyes, Corrin had quickly grasped its purpose: the roundabout path had been chosen to put as much natural cover and the heaviest regions of fighting between them and their foes' lines to hide their movements. That was plain enough. However, what he did wonder was how the path had been so quickly devised, only to then notice how Robin's gaze seemed to be fixed on the ground as they went. Looking more closely himself, Corrin realized that small, barely noticeable markings had been made in the dirt, each directing their next movement. Corrin recognized them as signs used by Hoshidan ninja when scouting to lead those following behind, putting little doubt who was responsible.

As it turns out, he did not have to wait long to have his suspicions confirmed. After reaching the treeline, the path brought them to a small ridge in the earth covered by brambles and an overturned log, behind which waited two others. The first came as no surprise, for it had been clear that Kaze had scouted out the path for the three of them to follow, the ninja nodding to him in greeting as they approached. However, he had not expected to see Ophelia there as well. What was she doing out here? Hadn't she been left behind along with the other younger children?

"Alright, lay low. We need to make sure we weren't followed before we proceed," Robin instructed, taking up point with the others already in wait.

"Lord Corrin," Kaze greeted as they approached, dipping his head in a motion somewhere between a nod and a bow. "I am glad to see you are well."

"Kaze," Corrin replied in kind, only his nod was far more weary. And if he'd noticed how tired of must have seemed… well, it probably looked when I worse. "Bit battered, but fine," he said, noticing a flicker of concern in the ninja's eyes as his gaze flickered between each of Corrin's all too visible injuries.

However, if Kaze wished to broach the matter further, he refrained from doing so, giving another curt nod before returning to keep watch.

This gave time for Corrin's mind to once again return to the matter of how and why Ophelia was here, as he was sure she had been among the younger children who'd been left back at camp. "What are you…" he started to ask.

"Can you not feel it? The stars have aligned themselves, as the tides of fate have brought us all together, transcending the realms to carry us towards the victory star," Ophelia declared, though Corrin failed to fully understand the scarlet-haired sorceress' words.

Silence.

Then, seeming to notice confusion in his eyes, Ophelia nodded quickly, clarifying herself: "Robin brought us to help out in the attack."

"Your sister, Lady Camilla, brought her from camp at our request," Lucina elaborated, her expression managing to look somewhere between weary and bemused. It didn't take much to guess she was thinking of how much Ophelia took after Odin's more… eccentric behavior.

"We need two mages for my plan, and everyone else was busy. What's more shocking is that we convinced her parents to let her come," Robin added, shrugging his shoulders as if it was a small matter.

Corrin eyed Robin thoughtfully, his thoughts converging to a single question: how? How was it that in the short time he was here, coming from a new world, that he could understand and grasp the situation so easily? Being not part of their world, shouldn't he be confused? Worried? Scared? No, he was still standing tall and proud…

How was it that despite their animosity towards one another at first, that the tactician could make a plan and bring out everyone's talents to their best use?

The more Corrin wondered, the more he began to look at himself with disdain. Just what had he accomplished? The corpses of so many innocents. The look in Robin's eyes told Corrin so much. It was the eyes of a man determined to survive with everyone. Corrin once recalled that strength within him as well, but it was lost beneath the mountain of corpses he had felled by his choice. What was it that Robin had that could make him remain so strong, while Corrin was growing weaker?

Before he could consider it further, Robin moved forward, clearing his throat before he began to speak. "Alright, we need to move fast if this is going to work. Our first priority is getting that smokescreen up," Robin said. He turned to Ophelia. "You and I will move to the water's edge and use fire magic on the lake to create as much steam as possible between the enemy and the dam. We need to work gradually, as to not arouse too much attention. You think you can handle it?"

"By the Celestial stars, the deed shall be done. You shall witness the powers that I possess as the chosen one," Ophelia declared, her eyes dazzling with excitement. The uncanny resemblance to her father seemed to be almost terrifying to the tactician as he stared at her for a long moment.

Then, slowly Robin nodded at this answer, turning his attention to Kaze and Lucina next. "Meanwhile, the two of you move into the woods upwind and start as many small fires as you can. Throw leaves onto them, get as much smoke going over as wide an area possible."

"Understood, I will get to work at once," Kaze acknowledged. "I know several techniques for starting flames quickly which should prove valuable."

Lucina dipped her head in affirmative as well.

Then finally Robin turned to Corrin.

"Corrin, you come with me and Ophelia. Once the smokescreen is up, you will need to be ready to use a Dragon Vein. After we-"

"Wait, what? Use a Dragon Vein!?" Corrin asked, interrupting the tactician. He'd followed along best he could, but up to this point he'd failed to grasp any purpose behind Robin's instruction. Clearly he had a plan, but it seemed like one that everyone had been filled in on but him. "Use it on what? And why? Why do any of this?"

Robin looked at him, his expression blank as he stared back at Corrin. Then he raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth as if to speak… then promptly shut it again as realization dawned over him. "Gods, I haven't explained the plan to you yet," Robin said, slapping his forehead with a palm. "The only way we can win this is if we stop reinforcements from coming And the only way we do that is to remove the lake as part of the equation. And, the only way we do that is to destroy the dam."

Now it was Corrin's turn to stare. He felt his jaw fall open, his lips working in silence. "...What?" he breathed at last, shock permeating his voice. The idea seemed so drastic, so unexpected that the very suggestion seemed unreal. "Are you crazy? What about the people in the valley below? What about-"

"Lady Camilla has already been sent ahead to evacuate any who would be in danger once the dam is released," Lucina interrupted, speaking quickly, her expression stern. "We have made sure not a soul will be harmed in this endeavour. We would not have attempted such extreme measures were that not true."

"It's the best we can do given the circumstances. We need to drain that lake, otherwise reinforcements will keep coming," Robin added. He gave Lucina a quick nod of thanks before turning his full attention on Corrin, his gaze almost pleading. "Please, we don't have time to argue. If this is to work, we must begin at once."

For a moment, Corrin said nothing, still trying to wrap his mind around the implications. A small part of him wanted to argue, but… no, they were right. They had to do something soon, otherwise the others… his friends… his family… all of them would die.

"Let's go then," Corrin said at last, releasing a sigh of breath. "Hurry."

Without further delay, they set off once more, Kaze and Lucina splitting off to begin their part of the plan. Meanwhile, Corrin followed Robin and Ophelia towards the shore, sticking close to the trees as long as possible.

Picking a spot at the water's edge where a fallen tree provided some protection from prying eyes, the trio scampered over the rocky terrain that lay between the forest and the lake, before ducking low behind the rotting log.

Once there, Corrin watched as the two mages set to work, Robin taking the lead as he instructed Ophelia what to do. Bending low, he thrust out both his hands, unleashing a stream of fire just over the water's surface. It spread outward, mere inches thick at its edge, the flames licking at the surface. A minute passed with seemingly no effect. Then, slowly, the water began to hiss, wisps of steam curling from the waters.

Mirroring his actions, Ophelia joined in, adding her own power to the spell. The water began to bubble and hiss, sending even larger puffs of vapor bursting upward into the air. Within several more minutes the steam had formed a heavy haze over the land, making it difficult to see more than a few feet away.

Turning his head, Corrin noticed now that the treeline behind them was now filled by a heavy gray smog. Picked up by the wind, the smoke began to drift out from the treeline, first in thin fingers, then a larger clouds, mixing with the thin veil of steam created by Robin and Ophelia's spellwork. Within moments, thicker wisps of combined smoke and steam began to form, coalescing into a haze of white and gray that fell over the dam and surrounding land like a shroud.

Corrin squinted, peering intently through the smokescreen. Between the distance and the fog itself, it was difficult to see any of the enemy now. However, even if perhaps it was nothing more than a trick of the shifting veil, he thought he saw a section of far away shadows shift, stopping as if transfixed.

Even if it is my imagination, they are sure to have noticed the smoke by now, Corrin mused.

A crunch of footsteps in the rocky terrain came from somewhere behind. Turning his head, Corrin picked out Lucina and Kaze making their way out from the treeline, the sound having come to the former, their movements covered by the smoke as they moved to rejoin the others. Lucina paused for one second, motioning to a spot closer to the dam where the terrain rose to provide some degree of extra over. Corrin nodded back, watching as the two of them took up position there.

"Kaze and Lucina are in place," Corrin whispered, turning back to the two spellcasters.

Slowly, the stream of fire flowing from Robin's hands ceased, the tactician turning to give him a sharp nod. Taking a step back, he paused, regarding Ophelia for a moment, who gave him a small, questioning look.

"Alright, Ophelia, keep this up for a few more seconds, then rejoin Lucina and Kaze."

"Fear not. I have immersed myself in the cosmic forces, thereby releasing the power of the chosen heroine of legend. This maiden of darkness shall not cease until we have vanquished the phantoms of the lake," she said, not even showing a sign of fatigue, but rather even more excitement. She might actually give her father a run for his sword. Or tome at this point.

"Corrin, this way," Robin said, motioning for him to follow.

The two quickly made their way along the shore, until they reached the dam's edge. There Robin came to a stop once more, turning to face Corrin. "Alright, is there a Dragon Vein nearby?"

Corrin frowned, closing his eyes as he reached out, feeling for the now, primal thrum of power locked within the earth. There, mere yards away, he felt it. Its deep, earthy notes mixed with a second song further away, coming from somewhere near the center of the dam. "Yeah, two of them. One is right over here." He pointed with a hand.

"Good, I hoped there was one nearby," Robin turned, his eyes fixed on the spot where he and Ophelia had worked. After a moment, he nodded to himself, seeing that Ophelia had already moved to join the others.

"Well then… here goes nothing," Robin muttered, so softly that Corrin barely picked up on his words. The tactician took in a slow, deep breath, closing his eyes as if mustering his strength.

Then without warning, his eyes snapped open. With a sudden burst of speed, he leapt forward, sprinting onto the dam. Electricity crackling around his outstretched hand, his voice booming as he aimed toward the center of the lake.

"THORON!"

A lance of golden light split the smokescreen, an echoing boom filling the air as the bolt slammed into the water, sending a fountain of water billowing skyward.

"Robin! What are you doing!?" Corrin cried in shock, eyes going wide.

However, if Robin had heard him, he showed no sign. On and on the tactician ran, firing blast after blast out of the fog. Only when he'd passed nearly to the other side of the dam did he stop, spinning around to sprint back the other way.

"Destroying the dam!" He shouted back, charging back. Lighting crackled again as he launched several more bolts in rapid succession. "Get ready, I need you to attack the dam on my mark!"

Suddenly, a high pitched whine filled the air, distant at first, but growing louder by the instant. At once Corrin recognized it as the sound made by the projectiles launched by the magical siege engines. It was at that very moment that he realized what Robin was doing. He'd realized they couldn't destroy the dam on their own. That was why he'd created the smokescreen: to trick the enemy into doing it for them!

"Now!" Robin bellowed, his feet touching down on the rocky shore just as the first volley slammed into the dam behind him.

With a cry of his own, Corrin reached out with a hand, seizing upon the power locked within the earth. He thrust his mind into it, piercing the wall surrounding it, submerging himself within the flow of magic.

With a reverberating groan, power rippling outward through the earth. The dam trembled violently, stone cracking as Corrin channeled everything into it, weakening the structure as he targeted its very foundation. There was a resounding crack, like the peals of thunder. Then came the roar of flames, drowning the sound in a sea of crackling heat. The space before him lit up like a second sun, a wave of heat erupting outward.

A hand seized Corrin's arm, pulling him down. The ground beneath him shook violently, fire raining all around.

"Move! Take cover!" He heard Robin scream, barely able to be heard over the inferno.

The grip on his arm tightened, dragging him onward. Together, the two of them scrambled forward, making for the spot where the others had already taken shelter. With one final burst of speed they leapt behind the outcropping, shielding themselves as they lay flat on the ground.

Nearby, Lucina, Kaze, and Ophelia had already done the same, waiting out the bombardment as the ground continued to tremble. For what seemed like an eternity, blast after blast struck all around them, the waves of searing heat rushing over their heads. For a moment, Corrin feared it was only a matter of time before one struck them directly, obliterating them as they huddled helplessly waiting for it to end. Dust and dirt rained down on their heads, thrown skyward by the fury unleashed by the siege engines. Mixed among them fell larger chunks of stone, one smashing into the ground mere feet from Corrin's head, causing him to cry out in surprise

Then, as quickly as it had started, the barrage died, the echoes of the final few orbs dying away. Slowly, the dust began to settle, fading with the last aftershocks of the bombardment. The rumbling in the earth began to recede, falling to a faint tremble before it too gave way to complete silence. Through the smoke-mixed fog they watched with bated breath, waiting for the sudden crash and rush of water that was sure to come. Even as they watched, the dam shook, a deep, creaking groan reverberating through its frame. Water hissed through cracks splitting the stonework, it's center bulging as the weakened wall struggled to keep the torrent at bay. Yet, despite it all, the dam held.

"What happened, why didn't it work?" Corrin gasped, scrambling to his feet. He spun to face Robin, who had already stood to survey the scene with a grim look.

"Only a few of the shots were direct hits. I'd hoped that either their accuracy would be more precise, or that they would continue the bombardment longer," Robin explained, his lips twisting into a frown as he spoke. "If we could just hit it one more time, than perhaps-"

"Robin, there is no time, look!" Lucina interrupted, drawing their attention. Following her gaze, the two of them turned back towards the lake where the battle still raged in full, only to freeze still as statues as they beheld the sight before them. Corrin felt his jaw fall half open, eyes widening in shock.

A shadow seemed to rush over the land, flowing out from the ruined town towards the dam. Ethereal flames flickered and danced as a mass of phantom warriors closed in with speed that no living force could match. But that alone was not what gave Corrin pause.

No, it was those that lead the charge. The Invisible Soldiers at the front of the lines seemed more distinct than the others, more physical, as if the illusion magic cloaking their forms had been released. They were those who he'd fought before, the risen specters of his slain foes.

And so Corrin stood transfixed, his body frozen with fear, as his long dead foes closed in, their pale, lifeless faces staring back at him through the flames that wreathed their ghostly forms. Only their eyes showed any emotion, pits of burning red that shone with a barely contained fury.

A whistling rush of wind split the sky, searing orbs of light arching high as they were released from siege engines. These rushed not towards the dam but the trio's position, no longer masked by the concealing fog as they had been moments before.

"Down!" Corrin heard Robin scream. Yet still he did not move, his gaze transfixed, his body refusing to obey his commands. A sphere smashed into the ground mere yards away, the shock wave powerful enough to throw him from his feet, slamming him to the earth in a crumpled heap.

The ground trembled underneath him as fire rained around him, some close enough to feel the rush of air and searing heat unleashed by the siege engines. Yet somehow everything felt muffled, as if heard from a great distance. His vision blurred.

"What are you doing?! Corrin! Get up!" He heard a far off voice scream

Slowly Corrin rose, neither heeding nor denying the command. He moved not of any conscious effort or thought, but as if guided by something else, a fire kindled in his chest. Defiance born of frustration and the loss of any regard for his own safety or preservation. He stood now to face down the ghosts of his past, knowing now what he must do.

If we don't stop them now, they'll all die.

Another blast struck the earth in front of him, buffeting him with force enough to send him reeling back a step. Yet still he held his ground, refusing to take shelter, only moving to regain his footing.

He was done running. He was done struggling. If they were so intent on dragging him to hell, he would meet his fate.

No. The word echoed through his mind, reverberating through his very soul

The world seemed to stop, every sound falling muted on his ears. He could feel his heart quicken in his chest, its beat like the rhythm of war drums in his ears.

Not again.

Corrin gripped tightly in one hand, so hard that his knuckles turned white.

I won't let that happen

Not like his brothers.

Not like Azura.

I wouldn't let anyone else die. Not again.

Never again!

With a cry of rage, Corrin leapt into action, charging. Behind him, he heard both Robin and Lucina scream for him to wait, to get back, yet he ignored them, throwing himself into a headlong charge.

Yet his aim was not at the phantom army surging towards them, but to the dam itself.

Arrows whizzed through the air, pinging off the stonework around Corrin's feet or sailing off into the depths behind. A spell slammed into the ground nearby, a burst of heat licking at his heels as he ran, yet still he ignored it, his every thought on what he must do. What his foes did to him now mattered little, for his intentions at that moment held no regard for his own safety.

"That's right, here I am! Come and get me!" Corrin screamed, letting his voice carry over the battlefield. Yato flashed as he brought it down, cleaving through one of the wooden support beams. Then another. He hacked down every point where the dam had been reinforced as he ran down its length. The structure groaned and swayed, the cracks widening as it gave way bit by bit.

Reaching the fifth support, Corrin raised Yato yet again. Suddenly pain lanced through his side. He fell to one knee, staring down to find an arrow sprouting from his leg. He tried to rise, only to stagger and fall, agony bursting from the spot as his wounded leg failed to support his weight. Another arrow slammed into his shoulder, the impact twisting him half around. He fell, landing on his side, gasping in pain.

Through bleary vision, he saw the shadows reach the edge of the dam, the foremost soldiers stepping onto either end. Even were he not wounded as he was there would be no escape, he was trapped.

But that was fine.

He hadn't planned on surviving this at any rate.

Reaching out with his mind, Corrin grasped on the low, deep note that reverberated deep within the earth, searching for the heart of power he had felt at the edge of his senses, right at the center of the dam he found it. The other Dragon Vein that had been too far away for him to use before.

"This… ends… now…" Corrin span. He reached out with one hand, and then, seizing on the power locked within the earth, unleashed it all.

The dam shattered.

In a single instant, the unleashed waters erupted into the valley below, ripping what little remained of the ruined dam to pieces, sweeping stone and wood aside like leaves caught in a storm. The foundation beneath Corrin's feet crumbled as he was thrown back, splintered stone and the hissing spray catching him as he fell. Then came the torrent, engulfing him in a rush of freezing water that stole the breath from his lungs. He felt something hard strike his back, the pain sending shocked of light flashing before his fading icy waters burned through his nose and mouth as they rushed to fill his lungs. He tried to scream, only for no sound to emanate from his open mouth but the last gasps of air.

Then the pain faded, everything going numb. For a single moment, it felt as though he hung motionless as he fell, the world around his empty but for the rushing white of the unleashed dam and the cold of the spray. His vision darkened, the world seeming to draw away until only a faint glimmer of light could be seen.

So this is how it feels.

To die.

Corrin closed his eyes, content to surrender to the torrent. Content to accept his fate at the hands of the rocks below.

...You are the ocean's gray waves…

Soft and distant the words came, their notes seeming to flow out of a place beyond his senses, felt rather than heard. They engulfed him, washing aside the icy black and wrapping him in a gentle cool that soothed away the numbing pain. The churning torrent seemed to no longer touch him, flowing around him as if repelled by an unseen force. Only the gentle hiss and a wet mist reached him now, blanketing him as he drifted downward.

Then the next thing, he knew he was laying by the river's shore. A gentle mist rained down on him, cast by the waters still cascading down the valley. The roar of the torrent buried all other sound, yet somehow it too seemed to come from a far away place.

I... how did… the thought slipped from Corrin's mind before he could finish it. He'd been falling, he was sure he would have been crushed. Even if he'd been thrown free, the fall should have killed him. How-

Corrin opened his mouth to take a breath, only for a sharp, jagged pain to split his chest. He gasped, or tried to, only for the pain to intensify. He twisted, rolling onto his side as he coughed violently, expelling a stream of water from his lungs. Again and again he gasped, forcing more of the liquid from his chest, the pain burning more intensely with each spasming cough. For what felt like hours he retched, until at last he managed to take a breath.

It hurt.

The frigid, damp air burned as it entered his lungs, his body shuddering with the rasping breath.. His vision blurred, feeling as though the single breath had taken all out of him. He tried to raise his head, but that proved impossible. The blackness grew at the corner of his sight, swallowing the world up in an endless abyss. One thought echoed in Corrin's mind as the darkness claimed him, one final question. Why hadn't he died?

Then he knew no more.

. . . . .

The rolling mist cascaded from the cliffside, blanketing the rocky shore in a churning sea of white. It swirled and danced among the newly formed rapids. Yet even now the waters began to calm, the last of the artificial lake draining away.

Above, the last of the fighting ran its course as the remaining Invisible Soldiers were driven from the field. Those entering the battle through the lake or close to the shore had been swept away, swallowed by the torrent.

But to the figure who stood among the mist and waters' spray, this mattered little at this moment. No, the only thing that mattered to her then was the man who lay battered but alive on the shore before her.

Corrin… I'm sorry…

A single tear traced its way down Azura's cheek, falling from her chin. It sparkled as it fell, evaporating into tiny motes of fading light before it could hit the ground.

Her heart ached as she stood there at her beloved's side, so close yet separated by the bounds of life and death. Helpless. Unable to reach out to him or provide any comfort. Unable to do anything but watch as the grief her death had caused consumed Corrin, unable to prevent his fall to despair.

And through it all she could not escape one simple fact. That all this pain was because of her.

It's all my fault.

Another tear vanished in the mists.

She hadn't wanted to go. She had wanted nothing more than to remain at his side, to create a world of peace the two of them could share in happiness. But she had failed. Perhaps if only she had been stronger, had endured the toll her pendant enacted on her very soul…

She had died willingly, to save the life of the man she loved, so he could live on when she could not…

… only to watch him give into the pain of her own making. To leave him with nothing but despair…

The sound of approaching voices reached her ears, Azura turning to watch as the four who'd been with Corrin at the lakeside scrambled down the cliff to reach him. Kaze made it down long before the others, the ninja deftly hopping from perch to perch as effortlessly as if the slick rocks were nothing but a simple staircase. He rushed to Corrin's side, passing mere feet from Azura without any sign that he'd even noticed her presence.

That was, of course, because he could not.

Azura stood by, eyes fixated on Corrin as Kaze reached out, pressing two fingers onto the side of the prince's neck just underneath his jaw. The ninja visibly relaxed, feeling a pulse, a barely perceptible sighing breath passing from his lips. At once, he set to work on the arrows that had pierced Corrin's side, for it was possible that he would still bleed out should the wounds remain untreated for much longer.

Moments later, the other three reached the shore, the foreign tactician and princess hurrying over to the spot with Ophelia a few steps behind. They spoke quickly in hushed voices that were difficult for Azura to make out, lost with the muffled sounds of the living world. Lucina removed her cape, handing it to Kaze so he could wrap Corrin in it to ward off the cold, while Ophelia ran off to gather sticks so that a fire could be built. Hypothermia, too, was a danger to Corrin in this state.

Both Robin and Lucina continued to offer what aid they could, but for the most part stood back to give Kaze room to work. They looked on, their expressions grim and silent, eyes fixed on the injured prince. Then, slowly Robin seemed to stir, dragging his eyes away from Corrin to survey the rest of the scene.

Then suddenly he froze, his body tensing as his eyes shot wide. He started, his gaze piercing straight through the swirling vapor. Azura froze as well, her own mouth tightening in surprise. For there could be no mistaking it: the thing the tactician had seen to give him pause was herself.

Lucina turned, noticing her husband's reaction. Her eyes narrowed as she followed his gaze, only for her expression to turn to one of perplexed confusion as her own sight passed over Azura without seeing her.

The wind picked up, the mists churning between them until nothing but white could be seen. Seconds later, they cleared, Azura having vanished from the spot. Slowly, Robin turned away, murmuring something to Lucina that could not be made out. Still, the tactician spared one last glance back, his expression thoughtful, then he returned his attention to Corrin.

From her new spot on the opposite shore, hidden among the spray, Azura watched on silently, pondering what had occurred.

Only with great effort had she been able to appear before others in this state, and then managing mere seconds at a time. In Valla it had been easier; she managed to guide both the tactician and princess to Corrin, but…

… it should have been impossible for him to have seen her just now…

Yet she was certain he had, despite what instinct told her should be impossible. So too was she sure this had been no fleeting glimpse. Somehow, he had seen her clearly, when no others could.

Azura's body began to break away, dissolving into sparkling droplets of liquid light. Her time now was up, even observing in this capacity having taken much out of her. She wished desperately that she could stick around for even a small while longer, just until she was sure her beloved was safe. But she'd used too much of her strength to save him.

With one last lingering look at Corrin's face, Azura let go, slipping back into the void that hung between life and death.

It would be some time until she could cross back into the living world once more. Until then, all she could do was pray.

Corrin… please…I know you are strong. Stronger than you believe you are.

Please… find the strength to live. Not just to survive. But to live.

For both of us.

Author's Note: Sorry about being late once again on this one, no matter how much I try to make time life keeps getting in the way. So unfortunately 3 weeks between chapters might be the norm for awhile, though I will continue to do my best to get them out quicker if at all possible.

Not much more to say on this one, so onward to guest reviews

Darkness21 - Well, to be fair, I am doing my best to use the portrayals of the Nohr Royals as seen in their supports instead of in the main story, since there they are far far far better written and consistent. Particularly Xander, since the difference in his portrayal between the supports and story is so different that they are basically two different characters. But yeah, many of them have issues to some degree..

Anyhow, that's all for now. As always, please let me know what you guys thought on this one. Hearing your thoughts always makes my day, plus your feedback is the only way I can improve. Until next time, take care everyone, and have a wonderful evening!

Character Spotlight: Ophelia

Class: Sorcerer

Secondary Classes: Samurai, Mercenary,

Skills: Vantage, Vengeance, Tomefaire, Quixotic, Astra

Personal Skill: Bibliophile - When user is carrying 3 or more Tomes, Critical rate +10

Equipment: Missiletainn, Lightning, Ragnarok, Nosferatu

Status: Alive