A/N: HAPPY CANADA DAY, EVERYONE!

For all my Canadians out there, fire up that BBQ and enjoy some fireworks! As well, for all my Americans out there, can ya'll stop celebrating a week early? My American friend is in agony with how little sleep they are getting due to the constant expolsions in the sky lol.

I'm aiming to dish out another chapter on the 4th of July, so happy belated Bday, America!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fire Emblem franchise! If I did, I'd make Maid!Xander an in-game Class option *evil cackling* Anyway, enjoy!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Emphasis

LOUD NOISES

'Quoting'

"DRAGON TALKING"

Chapter 7

Don't Go Into the Light!

…

On the Plains of Hoshido stands the conflict of the century.

On one side stands the Hoshidan royal family with faces filled with relief, joy, and warmth. On the other side stands the Nohrian royal family with faces filled with shock, horror, and betrayal. And finally, on neither side stands a lone Songstress who had witnessed the heavy decision of the man who wielded the fate of this world.

"Gods…" Xander, with a horrified expression, shakes his head slowly in disbelief. It felt like the sky had come crashing down on his head with how disorienting and loud his thoughts were. "They…I did not expect how severe the situation was for you, little prince…the Hoshidans truly have you in their grasp. Are you truly lost to us? Gods…I knew we shouldn't have let you go on this mission. I'm sorry, Corrin. I'm so sorry for failing you as your older brother."

Corrin, who was bitterly walking away to a proud-looking Ryoma's side, suddenly halted in his steps. After a tense moment, he slowly turned around on his heels to glare at the blond Paladin in mild annoyance. "Xander, can you stop talking about me like I'm dying?"

The dark-clad prince closed his eyes and frowned in dismay. "You can not deny the fact that it has barely been a fortnight and you've soundly sided with the Hoshidans. Your precious bonds in Nohr…we have loved you and raised you since you were a child, but it's as if you've no inkling of those memories. What else can explain this unusual development other than the natural conclusion of your mind deteriorating further due to your exposure to the Hoshidans? They must've done something to you, Corrin, something you are not aware of." The crowned prince then reopened his wine-colored eyes and gave him an earnest, solemn vow. "However, fret not little prince. I know you won't understand my words at this moment, but I swear to you I will bring you back from the clutches of the enemy."

Corrin's jaw dropped at the utter audacity of his Nohrian brother. Suddenly, the remains of guilt lingering in his heart lit up like wildfire, destroyed and consumed by raw, pure indignation.

"I just—I just poured my heart out to you—hell, I've fucking had it mauled by guilt for a whole damn week—I exhaused every last brain cell deciding on what to say to you to try and explain my decision—and maybe convince you of my point, and you just—just—COMPLETELY IGNORED WHAT I SAID?!" The Manakete screeched hysterically, aggressively stomping his foot like a pissed rabbit while his eyes were wide in rage and incredulity. The previously welcoming smile on Ryoma's face shifted to slight worry as he witnessed his normally calm sibling freak out. In fact, everyone except the Nohrian royals appeared concerned for the albino prince as this was the first time they saw Corrin lose his cool.

Camilla and Leo only gazed at Corrin with sadness and pity while Elise, now knowing the truth, just felt bad for him.

Xander, eyes bathed in a soft sorrow, sighed quietly and replied, "little prince. Your outburst does not help convince me otherwise that your claims were made while you were of lucid mind."

Corrin felt the last string of his patience—and maybe his actual sanity—snap. His eye starts twitching violently, causing Xander to blink in surprise at his bodily reaction. "Oh, that's it. That. Is. IT!" He snarled out darkly while bearing his unnaturally sharp canines at the blond man who now also looked a bit worried for him. "I'm tired of you and—and everyone else looking at me and treating me like I'm an escaped mental patient! Damn it, Xander, you stubborn brick wall! Mark my words: I will topple you one way or another! Dynamite exists for a reason!"

"What?" Was the only thing a confused and alarmed Xander could say while staring at the furious albino, now beyond concerned for his younger brother's well-being.

Realizing he probably did sound like a lunatic and should probably pull back a little, Corrin waved off Xander's puzzled owlish stare with a hand as he backtracked. "Nothing! Forget I said anything! The point is: I'm not going back to Nohr with you!"

Fortunately or unfortunately, Xander didn't know what 'dynamite' was, but at least he understood that last statement clearly.

Almost immediately, the crowned prince's face went from incredulous and bewildered to one of brooding anger. He shifted his intense gaze to the side and glowered at the red-clad swordsman next to Corrin.

"You…" The Crown Prince of Nohr spat venomously. "You caused this. You are the reason why I can not reunite with my beloved sibling, Hoshidan dog."

Ryoma, never one to back down from an accusation or a fight, shot back with an equally murderous glare. "I believe you've got it backward, Nohrian scum."

"Don't blame it on him!" Corrin shouted indignantly at Xander, causing a small part of Ryoma to feel elated that his baby brother was defending his honor. "For the last time, Xander, he didn't do anything to me!"

Said prince shook his head doggedly at Corrin's words, much to the Manakete's building frustration. "You are wrong, little prince. Hoshidans care for none but themselves. If they truly desired peace, then why have they not initiated better trade with us sooner and instead let our people suffer famine after famine? Only when Nohr decides to make a move so that it encroaches upon Hoshido's affairs does it elicit an overdue reaction."

Ryoma was about to angrily retort before he was startled by a hand held out in front of his armored chest. He glanced to the side to discover that the gloved hand belonged to a rather infuriated Corrin.

"I got this." Was the only thing Corrin growled out before he stepped up to face Xander alone.

Corrin felt his inner spite rear its ugly head and tear its way to the front of his mind, fuelled by unadulterated indignation. Ryoma, as well as the rest of the Hoshidan royals, watched on in awe as their brother took a firm stand for Hoshido. This was undeniable proof that Corrin had chosen Hoshido over Nohr, and that fact practically sent them over the moon.

"Well, gee, big Brother. I wonder what happened previously when Hoshido tried to initiate peace talks with Nohr." Corrin spat sarcastically, pretending to think about it with his fingers cupping his chin and his foot tapping the ground leisurely. He perked up with fake cheeriness as he exclaimed, "hmm—oh yeah! Their king got killed right in front of his son—who, by the way, then got kidnapped!"

Those who did not know Xander's mannerisms well would have missed the barely noticeable flinch that the crowned prince managed to suppress in time.

"I guess people would still be sore over that, huh?" Corrin sneered, unconcealed fury burning in his blood-red eyes. It was clear that his patience had worn thinner than rice paper by his Nohrian brother's incessant badgering and irrational refusal to take 'no' for an answer. "But that's not all—oh, no no no—their crowned prince can't bugger off after multiple requests from said aforementioned kidnapped prince to leave him alone. Instead, he has been insultingly and adamantly insisting the kidnapped prince is insane, and thus clearly can't make his own decisions—well, you know what?!" The dragon prince snapped, causing a pit of dread to form in the crowned prince's stomach with his next words.

"I'm done. I am so done with all of this! If you still don't get it, then I'll make it as painfully clear as possible!" The Hoshido Noble yelled exasperatedly, currently at his wits' end. He rubbed his forehead tiredly with one hand while he propped the other dramatically on his waist. Corrin had to pause and just breathe for a moment, trying to get ahold of his volatile emotions lest he accidentally let them consume him and force a spontaneous transformation. As tempting as it was to break something right now, he'd rather it not be one of his siblings—Hoshidan or otherwise. Even though he's absolutely livid with Xander, the last thing he'd want is to hurt him, or worse, find out his dragon self ate him.

Yeah no, Corrin may be more of an ass now than when he was younger, but he's never cruel; that's Iago's style.

Then, after a much-needed moment to himself, Corrin glanced up at Ryoma with a determined look, causing the high prince to raise a brow at him in astonishment and wonder what the younger prince was going to say next.

"Take me, Ryoma! Take me the fuck now! I'm yours!" Corrin suddenly announced, exaggeratedly flinging his arms out and shocking everyone present with his unblushing phrasing.

"WHAT?!" Xander exclaimed incredulously, along with the rest of the Nohrian royals who had varying degrees of shock and scandalization on their faces. Meanwhile, the Hoshidan royals sported expressions of dumbfoundment. Fortunately, none of them knew what 'fuck' meant still or someone—likely Camilla—might've gone for the kill.

"I…" The prince in red armor was momentarily dumbstruck by the choice of wording Corrin used, but in the end, he figured he should just be happy that Corrin chose to side with Hoshido instead of Nohr. His expression turned from downright bafflement to a smile of gratitude. "Alright."

Emboldened and still very much so shameless, Corrin confidently marched over and linked his arm around Ryoma's who, at this point, wasn't sure what was going on anymore but was just enjoying the ride.

His action seemed to snap Xander out of his perplexity as he held out a hand toward Corrin. "Wait! Corrin!" His face twists into something bitter and discontented. "So you would truly betray us as such?"

Corrin scowled resolutely and shot back, "are we really family when all of you do not believe a single word of truth I say? At least they," he frantically waved his arm to gesture toward his Hoshidan siblings, "do believe in me, no matter what! No matter if it's about me coming from the future or how strong I am, they believe in me completely! Unlike you!"

At this, Camilla, Leo, and especially Elise had the decency to feel abashed at Corrin's claims.

Xander glanced down in dismay and tightened his fists, feeling the strain of his gauntlet's tips stabbing into his palm. Although he knew his albino brother wasn't of sound mind, what Corrin said did hold some truth that even he was not going to deny this time. The other prince was right: they were a family, and he and his siblings had indeed been too dismissive of Corrin and his feelings. Regardless of how crazy Corrin acted, what their brother felt—the loneliness and sense of isolation of not being believed in—was still a valid emotion that he suffered through. From that perspective, Xander could see Corrin's present weak-minded state, and thus what poisonous words the Hoshidans might've used to gain him to their side.

In a last-ditch effort—for no one can claim Xander, the Crown Prince of Nohr, is a man who gives up without trying every option—the Paladin steels his resolve and looks up at his angry little brother. "Corrin…will you reconsider if I apologize for my treatment toward you?"

Corrin's ire melts away like spring snow into the fresh daisies of surprise. Blinking, the Manakete felt thrown by the older prince's unexpected change in attitude. "Huh, didn't know you would even offer. Alright then, give it a shot."

"I'm sorry," Xander stated, stone-faced.

Corrin just stared at him in slight amusement—for no one could claim Xander, the Crown Prince of Nohr, was a man who's expressive even on the best of days. Feeling his mood lighten from Xander's laughable failed attempt, Corrin could feel his Azama-side replace his spite—which arguably really wasn't any better.

"Hmm nope! Not convinced." The albino scoffs, his strict tone concealing a hint of playfulness as he petulantly turns his head from Xander while his arm is still linked with Ryoma's.

Ryoma raised a skeptical brow at his younger brother, sensing that the Hoshido Noble was about to create chaos. The high prince almost felt bad for the Nohrian crowned prince if it weren't for them being mortal enemies.

"Wait." Xander hastily stopped Corrin, a look of uncertainty and skittish anxiousness betraying his inexperience when it comes to emotionally showing his sincerity. "Uhhh…" The blond looked away—almost in a shy manner—before he glanced back with an unnaturally forced smile that was so disturbingly worrisome, it almost bordered on the edge of deranged. "I'm sorry, little prince. I beg of you to reconsider. Please…pretty please…?"

The Hoshidan royals all instinctively took a step back and readied their weapons upon witnessing Xander's murderous smile, feeling absolutely unsettled as a violent chill ran down their spines.

Camilla, bemused, covered her mouth with a hand, while Leo cringed in secondhand embarrassment for his older brother.

Elise, gaping, almost burst out laughing at the fact that Corrin actually managed to persuade Xander to say 'pretty please' while smiling—albeit horrendously.

'Oh no, poor Xander!' The young princess thought mirthfully, mentally giggling at Xander's lovable quirks. She was glad that Corrin's antics managed to ease the tension for a moment. It helped settle her troubled mind and cheered her up tremendously, causing her gloomy heart to feel refreshingly light again in what felt like forever.

Corrin—and even Ryoma—flinched with a primal sense of fright at Xander's surprisingly scary expression that even rivaled Oboro's, both men's eyes wide as Hoshidan pearls. Corrin had subconsciously clutched onto Ryoma's arm tighter while the high prince's hand had automatically moved to Raijinto's hilt.

Corrin gulped and quietly muttered to Ryoma. "That was...unexpectedly traumatizing…"

"Indeed." The brunet murmured back, wary dark gray eyes refusing to leave the crowned prince's visage. The High Prince of Hoshido hadn't been frightened while on the battlefield in ages, yet today was apparently where his streak ended—by a supposedly genuine smile no less.

At the long silence caused by everyone staring at him in some form of fear or another, Xander's facial muscles fortunately gave out from the strain of being used and allowed everyone to finally relax. "Well, Corrin? I hope that I have conveyed my sincere intentions to you. Come home, little prince. We can live as a family once more."

"And get even more traumatized?" The albino prince shot back incredulously, eyes still slightly widened from Xander's jumpscare. "No thanks, I'm good."

"'Traumatized'? Little prince, what do you mean?" The blond Paladin furrowed his brows, seeming genuinely confused and unaware of how much more terrifying he'd look in combat if he just smiled.

Corrin sighed tiredly, letting go of Ryoma's arm and appearing to take this seriously once again. "Look Xander…you need to withdraw your troops."

"What…?" The older prince spoke, tone hushed and breathless. His chest tightened while his heart pounded as if it was trying to valiantly break out of its cage. "Corrin…don't tell me—even after all that I've said and done—you're siding with Hoshido?"

"Yeah." The Hoshido Noble inhaled and exhaled slowly, clenching his fists and centering himself before speaking again. "I've made up my mind—a while ago, in fact."

Xander felt like he was going to lose it. He was going to lose his little brother to the Hoshidans. He was losing it, yet somehow—likely from having shared a roof with Iago and the similarly venomous Nohrian court while growing up—he remained composed enough to continue the conversation. "Despite lacking in common blood, I have always viewed you as kin since the very day you arrived in Nohr. No matter what anyone says, you are my brother, Corrin. I know that Camilla, Leo, and Elise feel the same way—and father—"

"Xander. Please—" Corrin felt a nasty and identifiable emotion latch onto him, and suddenly, the current scene overlapped with the same scene from 20 years ago. It felt as if he was actually back to when he was 21 years old, standing there in opposition to Xander after having made the hardest choice in his life. "—please, just—stop. Just stop."

Silence followed the wavering voice of the prince in white, who had lowered his head and hid his eyes from view.

"I'm sorry. I can't go back. I can't rejoin Nohr. I've already listed plenty of reasons why I can't and won't—and—" Corrin cuts himself off, taking another deep breath and reminding himself to keep breathing. "I know what you were about to say: that King Garon will forgive me. Well, I don't want to be forgiven by a monster like him. Someone who has no regard for innocent lives and would discard me like a pawn—like collateral damage—is no longer human. Face it, Xander: he's a pure evil bastard."

"How could you…" Xander responded, scandalized and hurt beyond words. Somewhere deep down, he knew his father hadn't been the kindest man for the past couple of decades, but that man…that man taught him how to walk. That man taught him how to swing a sword. That man taught him how to write, how to read, how to defend himself; he read him bedtime stories, he picked him up whenever Xander came running, he comforted him during storms, he carried him on his back so that he could see the soaring wyverns better—

That man had been the one to crown him during his coronation, had gently brushed back his lock of hair before he gazed into his eyes warmly, and said—

'I'm proud of you, my son.'

"Father…evil? How could you say that, little prince?" Xander's expression soured. 'How could you say such a thing to me?'

Corrin didn't reply. Instead he, eyes still shadowed, simply took out his newly obtained Yato and mentally prepared himself for a fight. "I know you'd never join me, Xander—I know how loyal you are—so let's just get this over with."

The Crown Prince of Nohr felt his heart turn cold as he stared at his little brother. The hope and desperation that occupied it mere seconds ago faded into nothingness, replaced by his usual unfeeling stonewall. He'd tried his damn best. He'd tried everything he could think of other than brute force to get Corrin to side with them, but…it appears it was all for naught. Nothing can sway Corrin to come back to them.

That thought alone seemed to sober him and disperse any lingering hesitation.

"...then so be it," Xander replied monotonously. He straightens on his horse, the beast agitatedly shuffling its hooves as it senses its rider's newfound resolve. He was no longer Xander: his doting older brother. In front of Corrin was now the imposing figure of the Crown Prince of Nohr, gazing intimidatingly down at him with Siegfried, unsheathed and blazing, pointed at his chest. "If you wish to come out of this alive, show me you understand the consequences of your decision, traitor."

Corrin tensed before he finally looked up at the Nohrian commander. Crimson eyes glared back with defiance, yet he couldn't hide the thin sheen of wetness covering them. The Manakete tried to say something back—another apology, a witty retort, anything—but he discovered his throat had become dry while whatever words he tried to form evaporated on his tongue. He has so much he wants to say to the man who practically raised him, so many thoughts he wants the blond to know, but all he can get out as he stared down the menacing blade—just like that final confrontation back at Castle Krakenburg—was, "big Brother…I…"

"You want to side with Hoshido? Fine." The crowned prince growled, scrunching his nose as he then angrily yelled, "over my dead body!"

"Xander—wait! Oh fuck—no no no don't—YOU MOTHERFUCKER—" Was what a panicking Corrin—currently fighting back PTSD from the other's last statement—could get out as his Nohrian brother charged at him, fully aiming to beat the shit out of him and drag him back to Nohr kicking and screaming.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this was when Ryoma deemed that negotiations were over and stepped up to his rescue.

"Not on my watch!" A flash of light sparked between the two legendary blades as the princes collided their strength against each other. Xander managed to block the lightning-fast strikes from the red-clad high prince before launching his own mighty swing, leaving a trail of dark flames which was also blocked by his attacker. The Paladin then jumped backward with his horse to put some distance between him and the Swordmaster.

"Just try it, Nohrian scum." With his blade gleaming next to his face, Ryoma glared at his Nohrian counterpart fearlessly, ready to lunge and slash like a prowling tiger.

"Ryoma?" Corrin blinked owlishly, his mind quieting from the images of Xander dying in his arms that had flashed through it.

Said swordsman simply glanced back at him with a gentle smile even as his sword chirped with deadly electricity. "What's wrong, Corrin? Lost your focus? Dying as a martyr won't do us any good, you know."

Corrin had recovered enough to smile weakly at his older brother's teasing remark, rolling his eyes fondly at the brunet. 'I'm pretty sure you said the exact same thing to me last time, too. Heh, don't ever change, big Brother.'

Seeing the familiarity and warmth between the two, Xander's ire burned even more ferociously. He focused his rage on his Hoshidan counterpart, ready to plunge Siegfried through. "Fiend! If you seek to take my brother from me, I won't go easy on you."

Corrin sighed in irritation at Xander's one-sided bias toward Ryoma. "For the last time, Xander, he didn't do anything—"

"No Corrin, if this Nohrian has something to say," the Swordmaster, with a renewed determination to protect his family, shifts his stance into a more offensive style, his brownish-gray orbs alight with fighting spirit. "Then let him proclaim it loud and clear through his sword!"

In response, Xander swung his sword in a wide arc before pointing its dark flames at Ryoma as his horse stepped into a more maneuverable position. With that one action, it's like a gun had fired as both the Nohrian and Hoshidan armies took that as the signal to mobilize and attack each other. "A splendid idea. I've yearned to introduce you to a dear friend of mine—the dark blade Siegfried!"

"Oh, why don't you spare me the chitchat? Shut up and attack, if you dare!" Ryoma sneered back while the voices of thousands of warriors roared at each other from across the field.

"Camilla, Leo, Elise! Are you ready?" Xander called out, rallying his remaining siblings.

"Darling, I was born ready." The violette smiled and giggled ominously. Undeterred by Corrin's refusal to join them and absolutely convinced he was brainwashed, she was fully ready to send the Hoshidans to hell. "Shall we kill them? Let's kill them quickly so we can make it home in time for Corrin's nap."

"You can't hide from me!" Leo scowled frustratedly at why Corrin was being so difficult. He refused to believe that Corrin would side with the Hoshidans willingly and that something foul was at play here. "You're coming with us—that's all there is to it. Do you understand, Corrin?"

"I'll do my best!" Elise beamed her fake cheer, knowing that had she not happened upon Iago and her father's conversation, she'd have totally been adamant in bringing Corrin back to Nohr along with the rest of her family. Now, however…she's not so sure anymore.

"Please. Corrin has made his choice." Ryoma began haughtily, expression stoic and merciless. "All that remains is to spill your blood and wipe my divine sword clean. Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura! Steel yourselves…"

"I'll protect you," Hinoka swore solemnly as she stared into Corrin's crimson eyes. "I'll be your shield, Corrin. They won't kidnap you again."

"Hinoka…" Corrin breathed, staring in awe at his older sister. Between her earnest attitude and tomboyish energy, he sometimes forgot how fierce and strong his big sister was when push came to shove.

"Stupid Nohrian jerks! I'll kill all of you!" Takumi exclaimed threateningly before—almost as if an afterthought—he added, "Corrin's not going anywhere. Just give up already!"

Corrin smirked at his brother in amusement, softly shaking his head at his predictability. At least this time Takumi thought about him instead of only shooting down his enemies, and to that, Corrin called it progress.

"I'm r-ready. I won't let them hurt you, Corrin." Sakura stuttered albeit determinedly while clutching her festal in a death grip.

Corrin gazed at his painfully shy little sister tenderly, and he couldn't help but admire how much more braver she was compared to him. Although unable to attack, she would still defend him to the end.

And that was the last push Corrin needed to regain his courage just as both Xander and Ryoma dashed forth and engaged each other in their intense deathmatch, rallying and commanding their armies to fight until their enemies were no more.

Corrin quickly found himself rushing off with his Hoshidan siblings, his retainers, Azura, and Rinkah to a more advantageous spot while his Nohrian siblings returned to their mounts and begrudgingly retreated to their side of the plains.

On the way, Takumi jogged next to him, huffing at him accusingly. "Corrin, what happened to your goals of de-escalating the situation?"

"I tried my best, okay?! Like you could do any better!" The dragon prince snapped back at the snarky silverette. "You, of all people, do not have the right to judge me! Trust me on that!"

"Still, you call that," the Archer waved his hand back toward the spot where shit just went down, "diplomatic?!"

Upon reaching their ideal location, Corrin stopped to turn to him with a deadpan look while Hinoka hopped onto her parked pegasus which awaited nearby. "Hey, in my defense, I've spent the majority of my life being compassionate and understanding when it came to trying to stop my Nohrian siblings from killing us only to no avail. I'm only human, Takumi, so even my patience has limits."

'Actually, you're not even a human—'

"NOT NOW, BRAIN. NOT NOW." Corrin turned to yell at the sky in unadulterated exasperation. "I swear to Plato's beard and Descartes's ass DO NOT give me a fucking existential crisis in the middle of a war!"

Takumi shot the albino a skeptical and bewildered look before he asked, "are you sure you're going to be okay going into this? You know we gotta focus now, right? This is serious."

"Yeah yeah, I know. Gimme a sec…" The older prince takes in a breath to ground himself again before he starts critically assessing the situation. His eyes darted around as he mentally visualized the battlefield as a large grid.

So far, there was a Fighter and an Outlaw in their nearest vicinity, and Corrin knew he had to neutralize the Cavalier guarding Leo if Takumi were to have any chance of a fair fight against his counterpart. With two healers on their side—that being Sakura and Felicia—he knew he, Rinkah, and Gunter could handle taking some hits to knock the immediate threats out.

Upon seeing how the aforementioned Fighter was charging at them like a raging bull, Corrin spared no more time on his thoughts and began to act.

"Rinkah! Gunter! To me!"

With perfect coordination between the three—and a quick motivational song from Azura—the two threats were eliminated and Corrin soon found himself rushing to Takumi's aid with Sakura in tow.

The silverette had acted rashly and, overconfident from Corrin's tales of his supposed glory over the Dark Knight, approached the blond intending to kill him this time and save his siblings the trouble of dealing with him themselves.

"If you attack, I will offer no mercy." The mage glowered from his perch atop his horse, the pages of Brynhildr flipping about wildly with his magic. "I hope you are prepared to die."

"Hah! Tough words from someone already dead!" The Archer swiftly manifested the string and arrow of Fujin Yumi before taking aim and firing, the long hours of his training and hard work evidently paying off with how quick his movements were. Leo's eyes widened as pure instinct and muscle memory took over to summon the branches of Brynhildr just fast enough to prevent the arrow from going through his skull, and instead redirected it to pierce straight through his right shoulder, leaving a nasty gaping wound.

"AARGH!" The mage screamed in pain, clenching his teeth tightly before surging his mana toward the Hoshidan Archer with a vengeance. Takumi widened his eyes as deadly spell circles surrounded him. Thankfully, Corrin's timely arrival allowed him to grab onto the back of the Archer's shirt and yanked the silverette out from the circles right before sharp powerful branches sprouted and almost stabbed him through.

"Takumi! Why'd you rush off like that?!" Corrin exclaimed irritably, panting from his mad dash along with Sakura who fretted worriedly in the background. Meanwhile, Azura steadily made her way over from where she was left after motivating Corrin, her delicate bare feet shuffling along the short grasses.

Takumi rolled his eyes at his brother's interference. "Hey! I was doing just fine—"

"You could've gotten seriously hurt!" The albino suddenly yelled, enraged, shocking Takumi into silence by his older brother's outburst. "Do you know what would've happened had that spell hit? You wouldn't have been any better off than Leo—right before being whisked away to you-know-where and then falling down the you-know-what!"

Takumi blinked at Corrin's protectiveness speechlessly. He could tell his brother was really worried about his safety. The silverette was unused to someone showing him that much care for his well-being when he himself didn't even care if he got hurt as long as he got a hit in, so he honestly didn't know what to say.

Leo cursed at himself for foolishly letting down his guard when he saw the youngest Hoshidan prince hastily heading toward him without any backup. He was so sure he would strike that buffoon of a prince down and be done with it, but he did not expect the incredible skill and power the other possessed. Groaning through the agony that his shoulder and entire upper torso were now in, Leo focused enough on the situation in front of him to notice who was standing before him. Hunched over and leaning heavily on his horse's saddle, he grimaced and panted out, "wh-what are you doing, Brother? There's still time to change your mind and—"

Leo froze and did a double take. When he and his siblings ran toward the middle of the plains to receive Corrin, they had to be at a moderate distance away lest they get too close to the Hoshidan royals. When he saw Corrin and Xander converse, he could hear and see what they were doing, but he wasn't close enough to realize that Corrin's armor wasn't shiny and his cape a brighter shade of blue due to the sunlight—that he rarely sees, mind you—but the fact that it was actually a completely different set of armor altogether.

The Dark Knight was so incredulous at the other's clothing that it allowed him to momentarily forget that he was presently dying.

"Big Brother, why do you look like that?"

Corrin blinked and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What? What's wrong with how I look?" He glanced down at his clothes self-consciously while somewhat bewildered at the irony of getting criticized for his appearance by Leo: the same guy who always wore his cape inside-out.

The blond prince sighed at his brother's ignorance of how dire the circumstances were. Although tired and grievously wounded, he still found the energy within to try to converse and hopefully understand why Corrin wasn't on their side. While Xander focused on unstoppable determination, he preferred taking a more refined route to understand the problem: that is deducing the true source of the problem first. "You might not have known this, but Hoshidans are known for their…effective techniques in 'persuasion'." Leo mumbled darkly, glaring at Takumi who glared daggers right back. "They are sly creatures. One day, you might wake up and not realize how much 'persuading' they've done to you, believing that all is right in the world when all is not. Do you understand, Corrin?"

"Oh, suuure, like the spells that you Nohrian scums cast that can seal away people's memories isn't just as 'effective' for 'persuading' someone." Takumi retorted icily, sarcasm dripping thick from his tongue.

"Excuse me? I don't recall I was speaking to you, Hoshidan dog." Leo spat angrily, displeased at being interrupted by the person responsible for his current pains and aches—both literally and figuratively. "Corrin, if you must have him nearby, at least put a muzzle on him."

"Excuse ME?!" Takumi snarled fumingly, readying his bow. "You want an arrow through your neck this time? Maybe that'll shut you up!"

"Try me," Leo threatened viciously, eyes alight in fury as he mustered up the last of his power to concentrate his mana in preparation for a counterattack.

'Wow, it's like cats and dogs in here.' Corrin sweatdropped at his bickering little brothers who've completely forgotten he was still there. He eventually cleared his throat, effectively reminding the two where they were and who they were with. "Leo, I know why you're telling me all this. Look, I'm not brainwashed—damn, I did not expect to have to repeat this so many times today—and I swear to you, I'm here of my own volition."

Snapping back to his initial inquiry—while mentally cursing the silver-haired Hoshidan prince for being so insufferable that he had gotten distracted from his original goal—Leo frowned in genuine disbelief. "Then why…why are you wearing that, Brother? Do you have any idea how badly it portrays you to us?"

"Ah, yeah…it honestly wasn't my intention at all…" Corrin scratched the back of his head sheepishly with an apologetic grin. "I just sat on a throne to prove a point and it changed me into this."

"..." Leo stared at him.

"..." Takumi stared at him.

"..." The Cavalier nearby stared at him.

"...Corrin, that doesn't answer anything. At all." Leo deadpanned, feeling like his brain cells were currently being murdered by Corrin's stupidity.

"Really, Corrin? Sure, just inform the enemy of that why don't you." Takumi deadpanned, subtly referring to the secret of the throne.

"There's just no context whatsoever? Seriously?" The Cavalier deadpanned, adding in his input on the scenario.

"Hey! Who even asked you?!" Corrin grouched defensively at the random enemy mob who was seemingly there just to diss him with his brothers. "Shouldn't you be fighting someone right now?!"

"Nah, this is more enter—erm, I mean, I'm here on official orders." The Cavalier coughed, trying to maintain his access to this juicy drama unfolding in front of him.

Feeling faint from his injuries, Leo knows he doesn't have much time until he needs to retreat. "Brother, consider my words carefully and know that now is not too late. I'll even smooth things over with father. Please, come back to us."

The albino prince sighed, gripping Yato tight while trying to keep his guilt at bay. The memory of his little Nohrian brother with eyes deader than the bodies he was burying during Xander and Elise's funeral flashed through his mind.

He gripped Yato tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Leo, but I can't go back. I mean what I said to Xander: father is dead to me."

"Do you even hear what you're saying? This is madness! You need to stop this!" The mage prince exclaimed in disbelief, silently damning the youngest Hoshidan prince for meddling in his plans. Had the silver-haired archer not wound him so heavily, he could've stood a chance against Corrin. However, Leo was no fool: if Xander couldn't even beat him when he wielded nothing but bread, then the Dark Knight was definitely not going to win with a dizzying vision and a mild migraine.

But, Leo had to try. He had to at least try to take his beloved brother back.

"I supposed I'll just have to knock some sense into you." The blond mage spoke gravely, narrowing his eyes and willing Corrin's visage to stop multiplying. "Know that I take no joy in this…"

"Leo, no." Corrin frowned at the younger prince in clear worry. If he could, Corrin would describe Leo looking like he was on his last 2HP. "Dude, you look like you're about to fall off your horse. I don't want to fight you. Go home."

"Then come home with me." The other replied without missing a beat through gritted teeth, grimacing through the agony. He curled inward on himself, head hanging low as a sudden fresh wave of pain surged through him. "I'm not leaving here until you finally regain yourself, Brother!"

"Hah! Look at this pathetic prince—he just doesn't know when to quit!" Takumi snarked arrogantly as he raised his yumi and notched another arrow. "If you won't retreat, then you'll die. It's as simple as that! Then again, you couldn't even hit me with a weapon advantage. Someone as shamefully weak as you doesn't deserve to be alive in the first place, so let me fix that for you!"

Leo growled gutterally in aggravation. "Why you insufferable—" His breath hitched when he glanced up again and flinched upon noticing the bright arrow of light. Adrenaline kicked in as his mind, previously fogged by anguish and desperation for his brother to rejoin them, cleared immediately and had him realize too late the danger he was in. The blond's eyes widened in horror as cold dread washed over his body.

With his remaining magic, Leo managed to throw up a barrier of branches in time to redirect the arrow so that instead of piercing his neck, it plunged itself into his arm. He cried out in pain, feeling his strength finally leave him as he dropped his legendary tome, causing the sacred branches—his protection—to fade away. His horse whinnied in panic, forcing Leo to take a moment to regain his control over the beast while pressing a hand into his new wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. However, when he turned his head back to what's in front of him, he saw the cocky Archer had already summoned and aimed another arrow at him.

Laughing at the other's misery, Takumi jeered. "You should've ran with your tail between your legs the moment you saw me. Die, Nohrian scum!"

The Dark Knight's heart sank. How was he this weak? Was all his training for nothing? Was he just not good enough? Was this where his short life would end: in enemy territory by the hands of his counterpart? What would his father say? What would his siblings say?

Did it even matter anymore?

'Defeated by an inferior…' Leo's expression hardened even as Takumi released the second arrow. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes while he faced his death for he was a proud Nohrian warrior. However, what he did feel was regret for letting his emotions take hold of him, and guilt toward his siblings for not only failing in convincing Corrin to return, but also leaving them himself.

It seems Nohr will be losing two princes today.

Just as the projectile flew near his forehead, Leo privately bid the world farewell until suddenly—

"Azura—Azura AZURA—!"

There was a gentle song that reverberated through the air followed immediately by rapidly approaching footsteps, and then a—

PING!

Leo blinked in astonishment. A golden sword appearing in front of him and blocking his incoming demise was the last thing he expected.

His chestnut-colored eyes, shocked, trailed the blade to its wielder. Something in his chest leapt with comfort when he spotted an annoyed-looking Corrin, standing by his side with his weapon raised in front of him protectively, panting at having to haul his ass to Leo within the second arrow shot, and glaring at the stunned Hoshidan prince standing a distance away.

"Takumi! What the hell?!" Corrin yelled at his younger Hoshidan brother in displeasure.

"Wh-what do you mean 'what the hell'?! I should be the one saying that!" Takumi, amber eyes wide, gestured belligerently at his betrayal. He looked between Corrin and the blue-haired Songstress next to him, but Azura simply gazed back impassively. "Why did you two get in the way?! That Nohrian scum would've died had you guys not stepped in!"

"Yeah, that's the point! I am not going to let you kill Leo!" Leo's heart soared in joy while his head spun from the effects of blood loss, but he didn't care about that right now since his brother obviously still loved him enough to save his life, and that thought alone gave him enough strength to remain conscious for a while longer.

"What?! Are you out of your mind? This is war—I need to kill him before he becomes a bigger problem in the future!" Takumi argued heatedly, notching another arrow while trying to get his brother to move out of the way. "Move, Corrin!"

Leo, surprisingly, can't fault the Archer for his pragmatic thinking. If the roles were reversed, he'd be doing the exact same thing and would urge Corrin that they needed to eliminate the Hoshidan prince. That didn't mean he appreciated the other's dogged attempts at turning him into a pin-cushion though.

"And I'm telling you no, Takumi! He's literally someone I grew up with—and while I chose Hoshido, that doesn't mean I'll let you murder him!" Corrin shouted back, staying firmly in place and acting as a human shield for his Nohrian sibling. "Besides, this probably counts as some sort of war crime!"

"What the hell is a 'war crime'?!" Takumi yelled with his brows scrunched in frustration, feeling a tick mark pulsate on his neck at Corrin's ridiculousness. By now, Sakura had also meekly migrated beside her older brother and sister. Looking uncertain, she glanced at Azura who in turn gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't know what a war crime is?!" Corrin did an incredulous double take, eyeing the silverette in bafflement. He then paused, thought about it, before sighing in defeat. "Nevermind, it makes sense that no one in this world knows what that is—I didn't even know what it was until recently—and isn't that just sad."

"Gods, Brother! Are you going to let me finish him off or what?! Just move!" Takumi ordered harshly, bow still drawn and ready to let fly its arrow.

Corrim groaned as he gave Takumi a pleading look. "Listen bro, I'll teach you all about war crimes later, but right now all you need to know is that what you're trying to do is baseless and senseless brutality—and I won't allow it!"

Upon hearing that last part, a traitorous little voice in Leo's head wondered if Corrin was saving him because it was in the albino's kind nature to do so, and not because he valued him over his Hoshidan counterpart.

Leo decided to ignore that pessimistic thought, but unfortunately the warmth in his heart had faded away nonetheless.

Or maybe that's due to the sudden feeling of cold emptiness that had filled him with an airy, feather-light feeling, thus giving him the sensation of floating.

The blond prince could only stare dumbly as his world tilted on its side while his name was being called in a muffled yet urgent tone.

Corrin, while arguing with Takumi, noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes only to find that Leo was slowly teetering over his saddle likely due to his severe injuries. Reflexively, Corrin stuck his sword into the bridge they were on before lunging forward to catch his Nohrian brother without a second thought, successfully preventing him from banging his head against the unforgiving wood. Leo's horse snorted upon losing its rider, shaking its head and pawing at the ground apprehensively.

"Leo? Leo!" Corrin shook the semi-lucid prince in his arms, attempting to rouse him from his daze. Leo slowly roved his eyes over to meet his concerned ones, but it didn't seem like he was doing well due to sustaining Takumi's second attack.

Seeing how his brother is practically cradling his target, Takumi dispersed Fujin Yumi's string and threw his arms into the air with an incredulous groan. "Are you kidding me? Unbelievable. Just when I got some good shots in, too!"

Taking note to apologize to Takumi later—since he knew he was being selfish right now with Leo—Corrin knelt and laid Leo down on the bridge while he hurriedly looked around for Felicia. "Felicia! I need you to—Felicia?"

He stopped when he noticed his pink-haired Maid cornered by Nohrian soldiers a bit further away, but not too far as to cause concern. Interestingly however, despite appearing absolutely terrified from being surrounded, there was a sizable pile of dead bodies around her.

Corrin blinked at her, impressed, before suddenly recalling that after the war, Felicia decided to switch career paths to embrace her hidden gift for combat and became a general for the Hoshidan army.

'Is she going to be fine, or…?' Corrin blinked again as he witnessed the Maid, eyes closed and screaming, stab a man, twirl, trip, and launch her dagger into another man's unsuspecting throat. 'Yeah, she'll be fine.'

"You're doing great, Felicia!" Corrin called out with a big encouraging grin and a thumbs up.

Felicia, trembling all over in her battle stance and fumbling badly to take out a new dagger, yelled back in a shaky and pitiful sounding voice. "Th-th-thank you, milord! I-I'm trying my best not to die, milord!"

Gunter and Rinkah—who was hitching a ride by clinging onto the Great Knight's arm with one of her own while standing propped against the side of the horse, club hanging from her other hand menacingly—soon galloped over to her rescue.

"Hmm…" Corrin quickly calculated something in his head, trying to assess the weaknesses and combat capabilities shared between the group of three. "Hey, Azura? Could you go keep an eye on them too, just in case? Between Gunter's armor, Rinkah's stamina, and Felicia's healing, they've got defense covered pretty well, but not damage output. Inspire Gunter often for him to get rid of the peskier soldiers, okay?"

"Understood." Azura, with her usual serene expression, nodded before she swiftly went after the galloping duo.

Corrin smiled after her departing elegant figure before briefly checking where Hinoka was. As it turned out, Hinoka was already engaged in a sky battle with Camilla over the river to the south.

Satisfied that his allies were currently doing well without his supervision, he turns his attention back to the task at hand: stabilizing Leo. He beckoned the Shrine Maiden standing timidly by the unhappy Archer, crimson orbs bright and hopeful. "Sakura! Come here, I need your healing!"

The pinkette jolted nervously before nodding intensely and quickly scurrying over. "I-I'm coming, big Brother!"

Takumi was confused as to why Corrin was calling for Felicia in the first place when neither of them were hurt, but then realization dawned upon him when Corrin directed Sakura at Leo, and the silver-haired prince was promptly outraged. "Have you lost it, Brother?! Not only are we to spare the enemy, but we're healing them now as well? You do know that he's probably one of the commanders of the Nohrian army, right? Corrin? Are you even listening to me?!"

"Yes yes, I know, but look at him, bro! Does he look like he poses a threat at this point? I think you've thoroughly knocked the fight out of him for good with only two strikes from your yumi." Corrin rolled his eyes at Takumi's prejudice but continued to compliment his quick work, trying to convince the silverette to abandon his murderous tendencies. "Since you took him down without breaking a sweat, even if you let him live, you'll just beat him again next time you encounter him, right?"

"Yeah, but…" Takumi frowned, looking uncertain. "He's a Nohrian: my enemy—and a high-ranking one at that. I can't just let him off the hook!"

"Oh, but Takumi," Corrin began, purposefully making his eyes bigger and beseeching as he gazed at him innocently. "Imagine the humiliation he'd have to live with knowing that he was thoroughly beaten by you into the dirt while you barely received a scratch. Don't you think that sort of torment is a worse fate to have than a merciful death?"

Now that seemed to pique Takumi's interest.

"Huh…you're right!" The younger prince smiled in satisfaction, looking proud of himself. "He would have to live with the fact that I defeated him. Hah, he'll never know peace!"

"Exactly." The Hoshido Noble gestured for Sakura to heal Leo—who's grasp on reality was slowly but surely slipping away—as he continued to work his silver tongue with an amused grin. He felt like a sly fox—like Nick Wilde from Zootopia—as he smooth-talked his brother. "So? What do you say? Eternal torment onto the Nohrian prince?"

"Hmm…I do like the sound of that. Very well." Takumi nodded with a slightly malicious smile. "Heh, I'd hate to be him!"

Corrin felt like he'd just tricked a kid into giving up their prized candy, and it gave him such a major sense of achievement that he almost fist-bumped himself if it weren't for one of his arms being stuck supporting Leo.

Meanwhile, upon arriving at Corrin's side, Sakura switched her gaze between her brothers uncertainly while they conversed before glancing down curiously at the half-conscious Nohrian.

The blond prince was sickly pale, likely from having bled out for quite some time, and his forehead appeared clammy. His eyebrows were knitted together from lingering pain, eyelids fluttering as the mage struggled valiantly to keep them open, while the curve of his lips were pulled into a tight wince.

Sakura stared a bit longer at the foreign prince half-cradled in Corrin's arm as he and Takumi continued debating over Leo's fate. Since this was her first time examining a Nohrian up close with her practically hovering over him—as she'd made sure to maintain a respectful distance between her and Mr. Gunter when she treated him—Sakura thought he looked kind of exotic with his high cheekbones, narrow nose, slender lips, and soft-looking smooth skin that—blood loss aside—looked like it had never been touched by the sun. Gods, she was in such close proximity with him that she could count his individual eyelashes.

The youngest princess of Hoshido blinked, suddenly dumbstruck upon realizing how near she was to this stranger—a Nohrian, no less—yet she somehow hadn't been reduced to a blubbering puddle of shyness and nerves yet.

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin when she finally noticed the Nohrian prince was gazing right at her. His exhausted half-lidded eyes, although currently drained, held a calculating glint as if he was examining her back to determine if she was friend or foe. Transfixed by mortification of being caught staring, Sakura helplessly gazed back at the blond prince like a deer caught in torchlight. The longer she stared, however, the more the reddish-brown hue of the Nohrian's eyes reminded Sakura of the way a red sunset would hit the dusky mountains to cast golden-brown light over the red pillars of a temple.

'Pretty…' The Shrine Maiden thought, mesmerized, before she gasped in pure embarrassment upon realizing that she was fawning over a Nohrian prince—her worst enemy!

"Eep!" Sakura, squeaking like a mouse, swiftly lurched backward from the weakened prince and slapped her hands to her face to cover her beet-red blush.

Corrin, Takumi, and even the Cavalier blinked at her sudden outburst in confusion while Leo's somewhat coherent logical mind wondered why the Hoshidan princess had skittishly flinched away from him when he could barely utter a word to intimidate her.

"Sakura? You okay?" Corrin asked worriedly, wondering why her face was as red as Buggy the Clown's nose, and refrained from instinctively reaching out to check her forehead temperature in fear of accidentally making it worse.

"Y-y-y-yes b-b-big Brother, I-I-I'm f-fine," stuttered the pink-haired princess, trying to take deep breaths like how Gunter taught her to calm herself down.

"Alright, if you don't feel well then don't push yourself, okay?" Corrin smiled at her comfortingly even if she couldn't see it with how her fingers were glued firmly over her eyes at the moment, and kept his tone soft so as not to spook further her. "Whenever you're ready, Leo could use some of your patented healing. If you could spare a use of your festal, I'd be very grateful."

Sakura quickly uncovered her face with another horrified gasp. That's right! The Nohrian prince that she was too busy inquisitively inspecting was dying right in front of her—gods, how could she have forgotten?!

"Y-yes, of course!" Her meek voice was high-pitched from her building humiliation from both thinking inaptly about the Nohrian prince as well as forgetting he was still in agony.

'Gosh, I'm a horrible person. What sort of healer am I to ignore the sufferings of a patient in front of me?' Sakura whimpered in her head, biting her bottom lip while tears gathered in her eyes. She prepared her festal, concentrated on her wish to cure the Dark Knight back to health, and casted her soothing magic over Leo.

'It's warm.' Was the last thing Leo thought as the unexpectedly gentle magic dousing him lulled him to finally shut his eyes and rest.

After giving Sakura a gracious smile and head pat, to which the little princess seemed grateful for the affectionate comfort, Corrin gathered Brynhildr, placed it on Leo's abdomen, and stood up with said caster in his arms before turning to the remaining Cavalier.

Said rider, who remained blissfully ignored and nearly forgotten while the royals were caught up in their problems, didn't mind the inattention and preferred to stay on the sidelines so he could enjoy the family drama. He was a mere simple man with a simple paycheck who lived a simple monotonous life, so suddenly having front-row seats to arguably the most exciting thing that's happened to him was a rare treat that he was reluctant to give up. Of course, when he saw his revered prince Leo almost killed in front of him, he was about to grab his reins and ride in to take the shot, but to his relief and further excitement, Corrin had stepped in and amped up the drama. From there he just watched, transfixed, while his horse nibbled on stray plants that managed to grow on the bridge.

The Cavalier jolted when the Hoshidan Noble approached him while carefully carrying Leo bridal style. The other two Hoshidan siblings looked on; one appearing smug while the other appearing curious.

"Hey, you." The albino prince called out, snapping the Cavalier to attention. "This conflict on the bridge is over, so you best take your prince back to recuperate."

"Erm…" The enemy unit cleared his throat, puzzled at why his opponent wasn't trying to strike him down as well. This normally wasn't how fighting Hoshidans was supposed to go. "You…you're not going to finish me off as well?"

"No. If I did, who would bring Leo back to be healed?" Corrin asked, eyebrows furrowed as if the Cavalier had just said something completely nonsensical. "Here, take him."

The rider fumbled with uncertain hands as the Manakete handed the Nohrian prince to him. When Corrin was sure the random mob wouldn't drop Leo or his tome, he told the rider to wait as he went to retrieve Leo's horse.

After soothing the nervous beast which clearly worried for its rider, Corrin guided the horse over and gave the reins to the Cavalier.

"Safe travels!" Corrin grinned in a friendly manner and politely waved him goodbye.

Unsure what just happened and unsure what else he could do, the Cavalier, reeling from the bizarre scenario he was in, simply nodded before he urged his mount to turn around and depart with his prince and his prince's horse in tow. As he retreated, the man couldn't help but ponder deeply in bewilderment at the nicest encounter he's ever had with a Hoshidan on the frontlines. He was expecting to die in today's battle, and thus fully accepted his fate knowing he's lived a satisfying enough life. Thomas did not expect that he was going to ride back to the medics with Nohr's youngest prince in his arms. He did not expect to get herded away by Troubadours for his own check-up after securely delivering the prince to a healer's tent. And he definitely did not expect to later get promoted to sergeant rank for his 'heroic deed' of rescuing prince Leo from the clutches of death and the Hoshidans.

What a day.

…

"Corrin belongs to us!" Camilla declared, eying her airborne opponent in disdain. In response, Hinoka charged her pegasus at her in a clash of naginata and axe.

"Nohrian scum! First you kidnap him, then you lie to him, and now you try to take him again?! I will never forgive you!" The red-headed princess snarled, flames alight in her tomato red orbs as her pegasus neighed before doubling back and swooping for another attack. "Corrin is MY brother, not yours!"

Camilla, in return, scowled at the audacity of the Hoshidan warrior as she effortlessly deflected the attack with a swing of her axe. "No, you are mistaken. Corrin is my sweet little brother. You may not have him."

As the two fought, wyvern and pegasus roaring and neighing to the beat of steel against steel while wind wiped at their faces and feathers flung everywhere, Camilla was becoming more and more eager to kill the red-haired princess. The look of fury highlighting her enemy's face, her cheeks twisted in a yell yet still looked so smooth and delicate; the sweat dripping off her chin as she elegantly swooped in the air on her pure white pegasus, burning bright like the setting sun shining from behind and casting a faint halo around her; her fiery eyes, filled with life and purpose and unbreakable will even as blood glittering under the rays of sunlight splashed from her shoulder wound—

The spirited Hoshidan rivaled the paintings of noble Wyvern Lords of legend: aloft, free, and bathed in strength and glory.

'What a waste of beauty on someone like her.' The violette thought in pity as she toughed out a stab to her side from the other's naginata. Her magenta-colored eye, trained on the lithe figure in front of her, crinkled slightly as she smiled at how feisty the red-haired princess was. 'Indeed, if it weren't for her being in the way of retrieving my precious Corrin, I'd hesitate in marring that pretty face.'

With the rushing waters of the river below, the lilac-pink hue of the sky above, the sounds of warfare all around, and a worthy opponent in front, Camilla's heart pounded enthusiastically as she grinned from the thrill of battle. She was in her element, and nothing could stop her from emerging victorious and bringing her darling Corrin home—

"Camilla!"

The Malig Knight, about to lunge forward and lob off the pegasus's wing, froze in her action. Her wyvern growled in confusion at the sudden halt as a burst of heat from below stopped both her and the Sky Knight. When the female warriors glanced down, they realized the river had been evaporated by a Dragon Vein via Takumi who had made it across the bridge.

A familiar head of platinum blond locks ran to the middle of the dried stream just as hundreds of Nohrian and Hoshidan soldiers, no longer constricted to combat on bridges, ran at each other through the nonexistent river.

"Corrin!" Both airborne riders happily called back to the prince on the ground before death glaring at each other for daring to call to their beloved little brother so lovingly. They circled each other in the air menacingly, but had somehow reached an unspoken agreement to lower themselves while circling so they could talk to Corrin better.

"Corrin, are you hurt—" Hinoka began, only to be rudely cut off by Camilla.

"The Hoshidans haven't done anything to you, have they?" The violette cried out in worry, causing the redhead to fume at her.

"No, I'm fine!" Corrin answered both of his sisters with his hands cupping his mouth, feeling slightly astonished at their simultaneous protectiveness toward him and animosity toward each other.

"Hey! I was trying to talk to him first, do you mind?" Hinoka snarled at the Nohrian, displeased.

"He's my little brother." Camilla stated matter-of-factly, flipping her hair sassily before smirking. "Does an older sister not have the right to know the well-being of her younger brother?"

"Why you—! He's my brother, Nohrian scum!" Hinoka raged, scrunching her nose at the shamelessness of this woman.

Corrin sweatdropped as he was ignored by bickering siblings once more. 'Wow, not any better here either, huh? Still cats and dogs it seems.'

"Hmph, just because you managed to clothe him in that abhorrent apparel doesn't make him any less my baby brother." Camilla frowned haughtily at the other. Since she was a warrior of the sky, her sharp eyesight had spotted the distinctly Hoshidan garb Corrin wore right from the start, and she absolutely had some misgivings about it. Then, a thought occurred in her head that brought a smile to her face. Excitedly, she turned to Corrin and beamed. "Oh, Corrin! I've the most wonderful idea! After we've spilled their blood and arrived back at the castle, let's play dress-up! It's been so long since we've done something fun like that. We'll get you out of that gnarly outfit into something much cuter and easier on the eyes!"

Corrin blinked dumbfoundedly before glancing down at himself self-consciously again. "What? Why? What's wrong with my armor?"

"Nothing's wrong with your armor, Corrin. I think it's perfect." Hinoka jumped to the rescue of his self-confidence in his fashion sense before deadpanning at Camilla. "This lady is just insane."

"Oh hush you." Camilla narrowed her eye disprovingly at the other princess before gazing down at Corrin with a much more adoring look. "What say you, Corrin? Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

The dragon prince sighed in mild embarassment, having forgotten how doting and playful Camilla was before the war. The Camilla of his future wore a smile, but occasionally he could spot the sadness hidden beneath. He knew of the effort she put behind her façade, trying to make everything seem normal and like nothing had changed to the point that it felt desperate, but overtime he could sense that even she didn't believe in the normalcy her denial spun her.

Corrin remembered during the year following the end of the Hoshido-Nohr war, Camilla had cheerfully recieved him when he came to visit after Elise and Xander's funerals. She had dragged him around, babied him, and made sure he was comfortable. He remembered, vividly, when she merrily offered to bathe him like old times and pick out his sleepwear, she was searching in his guest room's closet for a pair of comfortable clothes and had pulled out a tiny toddler's sock. She suddenly stopped talking and breathing altogether, as if her joy had dissipated like startled birds, when the illusion she weaved for herself shattered to a million pieces.

It was one of Elise's socks from when she was younger. It must've gotten lost in the laundry and had ended up there.

Corrin could only stare in worry at his big sister and tentatively ask if she was alright. The Malig Knight had smiled and reassured him that she was, but the singular tear that flowed down her cheek after she scolded herself for getting too carried away—that 'he was a big boy now and can pick out his own clothes, and doesn't need her to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight'—made Corrin think otherwise. She wished him a good night and promptly left his room, leaving him there with nothing but a dropped sock on the carpet.

That was the final time Corrin could remember his older sister babying him. At the time, he thought that it was nice how Camilla would never change, and how she would always care for and treat him like a child even if it was inappropriate to do so. However, after that day, he knew better.

Overtime, he could see her depression take over as her smile slowly disappeared while her warm eyes slowly lost its luster. Soon, Corrin couldn't recall when the last time he saw her was before waking up in the Northern Fortress.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Corrin gazed at his Nohrian sister—someone who he'd always thought to be mighty and unconquerable—before he pursed his lips and steeled his heart. "No, Camilla. It doesn't."

"Uh oh." Her pleased smile shifted to a concerned smile. "Are you mad at that suggestion, Corrin? If you don't want to play dress-up, then we don't have to."

"No, big Sister, that's not it. I'm…" He takes a breath again and sighs for the umpteenth time that day. "I've sided with Hoshido. I know it's hard to understand, but I have my reasons—and no, I am NOT brainwashed. If you really love me, then you would believe me on that."

Hinoka smiled at the albino, recalling how elated she felt when Corrin had taken a solid stand for Hoshido during the prior confrontation with Nohr. Meanwhile, as if to juxtapose her delight, Camilla sported a devastated expression on her beautiful features.

"Tell me this isn't really happening, my sweet Corrin!" She begged, voice wavering. By now, she and Hinoka had stopped circling each other and were just hovering a few meters in the air. Faced with Corrin's accusation of not loving him, Camilla felt distressed by the alternative answer to why her brother refused to return to her: that Corrin was siding with Hoshido willingly. "Of course I love you, my dear. But…but that would mean…oh, gods. Do you hate us, Corrin? What did we do to warrant such dislike? Why won't you come back to Nohr?"

"Gods…Camilla…" Corrin's face pinched in sorrow at causing Camilla such emotional pain. It was like he was witnessing her spiral into depression all over again. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but…I know you won't join me. I know you would never betray Xander, or King Garon, or Nohr. I'm sorry, but it seems fate has decided we part."

"Why…" The Malig Knight, now breathless and horrified, felt all the fight within her drain from her body. Her wyvern crooned at its rider suddenly slumping into its saddle as if about to faint. "I can't believe it."

Hinoka stared in surprise at her opponent. The purple-haired princess had been a ferocious terror while they fought, and honestly, Hinoka wasn't afraid to admit that she wasn't sure if she could've won. They were well-matched and equally determined to protect Corrin. Through their duel, the Sky Knight could sense the deep devotion the Nohrian held toward her brother. At the very least, Hinoka could respect the axe-wielder on that.

But now, the Nohrian princess's previously domineering presence had been reduced to little more than a heartbroken woman. The contrast was so disparaging that it made Hinoka feel kind of sorry for the other. The Hoshidan couldn't imagine how she'd take it if the situation was reversed.

Out of nowhere, a flash of light appeared from the corner of everyone's eyes. Camilla gasped, too distracted by her despair to dodge the arrow of light flying straight for her. "Corrin?! AH—!"

The arrow struck true, plunging itself into her side. The Malig Knight cried out in shock as she lost her balance and fell out of her saddle.

Corrin, jaw dropped, reacted in time and flung himself forward to catch Camilla. Despite his ample strength, Corrin was knocked prone when the heavy body of his sister slammed into his arms and chest, nearly winding him. Gasping and coughing for air, Corrin achingly sat up with Camilla in his arms just as she glanced up at him in betrayal.

"How could you let this happen, Corrin?" She mumbled out, magenta-colored eye glimmering in grief. "If you wish to kill me…then go ahead. I won't deny you anything, my sweet Corrin. Please…don't…forget me…"

With crimson orbs wide in disbelief, Corrin saw the violette close her eye with a peaceful smile. Thankfully, she was made of tougher mettle than Leo and wasn't bleeding out badly to constitute dying, but she was still rendered unconscious nonetheless.

And so, Corrin exploded.

"TAKUMI!" The Manakete roared, swiveling his head over to glare at the smug Archer approaching him. Corrin stood up with some effort, carefully cradling his unresponsive Nohrian sister, and shot his younger Hoshidan brother an incredulous glare. "What in the actual hell, Takumi?!"

The silverette stopped in front of him, his former victorious smirk turning into a frown of uncertainty. "Huh? What do you mean? Wasn't the plan you distract her while I find an opportune moment to shoot?"

"No! I—NO, THAT WASN'T THE PLAN." The Hoshido Noble exclaimed in horror. "I was actually having a conversation with her, and you just—bruh! Why?!"

'Goddamn it. Whenever someone's Nohrian sibling is dying, blame Takumi.' Corrin thought in annoyance with his eyes half-lidded. #BlameTakumi

Both of Takumi's eyebrows raised in genuine bewilderment. "Wait, really? Oh…I thought you were wordlessly waiting for me to sneak in an attack. Wasn't that why you crushed her spirit?"

"I, I did not crush anyone's spirit!" Corrin retorted defensively.

Takumi gave him a deadpan stare. "Brother, she looked like she was about to cry. You totally did destroy her spirit."

"No, I did not! Hinoka! Tell Takumi I didn't—Hinoka?" Corrin blinked and did a double take when he didn't see his sister where he thought she was. Looking around, Corrin discovered that Hinoka was attempting to round up Camilla's mount which had gone ballistic upon losing its rider.

"Sorry, Corrin! I'm kind of busy over here—whoa!" The Sky Knight fortunately managed to pull on her reins just in time for her pegasus to evade a bite from the reptile. "Hey! Calm down, you nasty little—" Hinoka barely dodged a charge attack from the wyvern that would've sent her and her mount off balance. "—why you! That's it, don't blame me for being rough!"

While the Hoshidan princess wrestled a rampaging wyvern, Corrin turned to Takumi with an indignant grunt. "You're lucky Camilla seems stable despite taking a direct hit. Now, here."

"Huh? Wha—" Takumi flailed in panic as his older brother practically shoved the curvy woman into his arms, forcing him to hold her bridal style. "What are you—what is—?!"

"Since you're the one who shot her down, you're the one responsible for her." Corrin stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?!" Takumi protested with an armful of Nohrian woman. "What do you mean? Why am I responsible for the state of an enemy?! And don't tell me we're sparing this one, too!"

"She clearly didn't want to fight anymore, yet you still attacked her regardless. That's dishonorable and just plain dishonest, bro." Corrin scolded with his arms crossed, shaking his head slowly in disappointment. "Which means as punishment, you're carrying her until we find another willing Nohrian to take her, or a safe spot to leave her at. Now c'mon, I think Hinoka managed to knock out the wyvern."

With that, Corrin strutted away, leaving Takumi to sputter dumbfoundedly after him while struggling to carry the curvy princess. "W-wait! Corrin!"

The silverette then mumbled moodily as he shut his eyes, gritted his teeth irritably, and sighed in frustration. "How was I supposed to know she didn't want to fight anymore? For all I knew, she was about to go right back to attacking Hinoka. Geez!" With another grumble, Takumi begrudgingly started following his older brother.

As he strolled after Corrin, Takumi snuck an indignant peek down at the slumbering violette, scowling in annoyance. The Nohrian princess was not only taller, but also bigger than him, thus making it a challenge to keep her aloft for long despite his physical training as an Archer. Heck, she was the largest woman he's ever met! No one in Hoshido could match her size. With one glance, he could tell she had a sturdy, strong frame honed by combat and natural talent, yet parts of her remained feminine enough to undoubtedly invite many male gazes.

"..." Takumi blinked with a small frown as he paused in his tracks to adjust his grip on her shoulders and thighs with the help of his knee. Despite the muscles that he could see she had, the violette was supple to the touch and her mature body had all the right places filled. Takumi really wasn't exaggerating either when he claimed she was the 'largest' woman he's ever laid eyes upon.

Blinking rapidly, Takumi gulped thickly and snapped his head up to rigidly stare out at whatever's in front of him, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the jiggle physics from the contemporarily attractive figure below and the slight blush dusting his cheeks.

They eventually reached the spot on the other side of the extinguished river where Hinoka and her pegasus had landed next to a dazed wyvern laying on the ground, all three panting from their aerial exertion. Thankfully however, Sakura had caught up with them first and was diligently tending to Hinoka's wounds.

"Gods, and this is why I prefer pegasi over stupid wyverns." Hinoka grunted in irritation, petting her mount for a job well done. "They're far more agile and docile than these overgrown reptiles!"

"Hinoka!" Corrin waved as he and Takumi neared. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, don't worry. Sakura is doing great shooing my aches away." The Sky Knight replied with a reassuring smile. The Shrine Maiden blushed shyly at the compliment before moving over to check over the pegasus next.

"Oh, that's good to hear! Glad you're alright." The Manakete grinned back in relief before he tilted his head and questioned, "why did you chase after the wyvern, by the way?"

"Well, the beast was going mad. It was best to make sure it didn't fly around and accidentally hurt someone, or simply fly off altogether into Hoshidan lands. I doubt the wild pegasi and kinshis would appreciate having a wyvern around hunting them." The redhead reasoned in a leveled tone before glancing over at Takumi with a raised brow. "Takumi? Why are you carrying the Nohrian?"

"Corrin forced me. Help." The silver-haired teen grouched, looking both miserable and grumpy at his current predicament.

"Pfft…! Why?" The Sky Knight asked in amusement, eyes glimmering with mirth.

"Hell if I know!" The young prince growled as he awkwardly used his knee to readjust his hold on the unconscious violette again. "Apparently, it's 'dishonorable' now to ensure one's own sister wouldn't be harassed by a madwoman on a wyvern."

"I'm making him take responsibility for shooting someone who clearly looked like she didn't want to continue fighting." Corrin replied dryly with his eyes half-lidded in deadpan.

Hinoka chuckled jollily at both her brothers' shenanigans, and even Sakura was giggling quietly to herself at their antics. "Alright, alright you two. Corrin, why not show some mercy toward our poor little brother. Look at him, I think he's learned his lesson."

"Hmm, I don't know…" Corrin turned to Takumi with a hand cupping his chin, teasingly humming and mockingly scanning him with a critical eye. "His sulking expression doesn't tell me he's apologetic of what he's done at all."

"Corrin, you—! Come on, quit messing around! Gods, my arms are killing me!" Takumi whined in displeasure, eyes clenched shut as he tried to ignore his burning muscles. "I'm seriously about to drop her, so knock it off already!"

"Oh, alright, fine. Just because I'm the best big brother ever, I'll let you off the hook this once." Corrin smirked at the younger male playfully before gesturing to the collapsed wyvern. "You can put her over there. This place looks Nohrian-occupied enough that someone from the Nohrian army will find her."

Huffing and puffing, Takumi immediately waddled over and set the purple-haired princess down next to her mount, somehow having refrained from practically throwing her to the ground. The black wyvern, with its glowing red eyes, instantly turned to glare and growl fiercely at him as it curled around its rider protectively.

"Ugh, nasty cold-blooded thing." He sneered in disgust before regrouping with his siblings. "Alright, now that's taken care of…what's next?"

"Hmm, well—" Corrin paused as his eyes caught sight of Felicia running across the field, screaming bloody murder and attracting the attention of multiple enemies who were ganging up on Gunter, Azura, and Rinkah. He marveled at her speed as she ran for her life while a pack of Nohrian soldiers came after her, shouting along the lines of 'get her! She's the healer!', before eventually and successfully cornering her against a small copse of Hoshidan trees. However, before Corrin could act, he saw Felicia—still screaming—spin like a Beyblade as she rammed at an enemy and effectively slayed them.

The Manakete blinked as he witnessed his Maid, still spinning like she was an attack helicopter, sliced through another soldier before tripping, falling over, and perfectly dodging the spear aimed at her head. Corrin couldn't help but be impressed at her insane RNG luck that came in clutch.

Seeing that she'll be fine—traumatized, but fine—Corrin unflinchingly gave out his orders to his siblings. "We need to check in on Ryoma's situation. Hinoka, fly yourself and Sakura to the center, but don't go near unless Ryoma is in dire need of healing. Xander's sword, Siegfried, has an unexpectedly long range and it might hit you even if you're high up. Takumi, head on over east to where Rinkah, Azura, and Gunter are and ensure they aren't getting too overwhelmed. They could use more oomph in their counterattacks, if you know what I mean. Have the four of you meet up with Felicia after she's done dispatching her opponents before heading toward the center of the plains as well. I'll make my way upward from the west. We need to perform a pincer movement on Xander to separate him from the rest of the Nohrian forces."

"Roger!" Hinoka nodded decisively as she hopped onto her pegasus.

"Understood!" Takumi replied seriously as he ran off toward the east.

"O-okay!" Sakura stuttered determinedly as she pulled herself onto Hinoka's pegasus with the redhead's help.

With that, all three groups took off.

Corrin confidently traversed the Nohrian side of the plains, defending himself from the occasional Nohrian who charged at him indiscriminately and saving the occasional Hoshidan from getting killed. As he traveled, he couldn't help but wince at his surroundings which were engulfed in the sounds of war: steel clashing harshly against steel, battle cries of people slaughtering and being slaughtered, and the release of magics both for offense and healing echoed across the once peaceful plains.

'Ah, damn. I forgot how gruesome this could get. How Gunter and Reina managed to get used to all this carnage is beyond me.' The albino tsked to himself before his mind unwittingly began to ruminate on whether he chose correctly. 'I know there's no going back at this point, but—fuck, did I actually make the right choice?'

The dragon prince couldn't help but think back to Leo and Camilla. The way they held onto their stalwart belief that he'd come back to them, insisting and refusing to accept the truth, and letting their guards down so much that they were almost felled was frankly causing Corrin some inner strife. If it were only Camilla, it'd make more sense since she's obsessed with him, but for someone so conservative and highly rational like Leo? It was completely irrational: staying while heavily wounded and trying to win a losing argument was irrevocably out of character for someone so pragmatic as him. Corrin didn't know what could've caused this deviation this time around because during his first run-through, there was only a brief exchange of words and twisting emotions before he had to fend them off with Yato.

Was it because they think he's mentally unwell? Possibly. It seemed like Xander had been adamant not to give up on him due to his initial belief that Corrin was not in his right mind when he made his decision. Was it because they felt guilty for not believing in him? Maybe. Xander suddenly apologizing to him had caught him by surprise, but the sardonic side of him huffed that it was about damn time they realized their mistake. Whatever was the reason for their reluctance to give up on him, Corrin was nonetheless touched that they'd go so far for his sake. The albino couldn't lie that their actions have stirred a yearning sensation of hope and affection for his Nohrian family. He had been prepared to part ways and cut off ties with them once more, but seeing how much his Nohrian family was trying made him reflect yet again if he was doing the right thing by picking the same path.

The cynical part of him wondered if it was just him projecting and that it was never this deep: that they were always this stubborn in their attempts to win him back. It made sense why they'd be even more desperate to have him not only due to their bonds, but also because they would gain a valuable asset for the war. They have seen how strong he is, and if they actually believe him now, then having someone with premonition knowledge of the war is a major boon.

Corrin mindlessly sidestepped an arrow from an Outlaw before swiftly dashing over and slayed the rogue with one swing of Yato. He did this all the while lost in thought on his current circumstance.

'Alright, let's be logical here. If I chose to side with my family in Hoshido, I would know what happens next. I would have an advantage of predicting King Garon's next moves and effectively save the lives that were lost previously. I can be with my Hoshidan family whom I dearly love: I can help Sakura with her confidence training early, I can help Takumi shed his inner insecurities, I can spend tons of time with Hinoka to make up for the years lost, and I can even coach Ryoma on Nohr's state of affairs and shape him into the compassionate King of Hoshido that he became in the future. There doesn't seem to be any downsides, right?'

'Well, except for Xander and Elise dying, and Leo and Camilla becoming depressed and withdrawn.' Corrin frowned solemnly as his thoughts began to surge from the other side.

'Alright, then hypothetically—yet not impossible—if I were to choose to side with my family in Nohr, what would happen? I'd have to listen to that asswipe King Garon. Ugh, hate that. I'd have no idea what would happen next. I also hate that. My Hoshidan siblings would come to despise me while Takumi becomes a purple smoking puppet with no one around to drag him out of his darkness—yeah, no, I definitely hate that. The only upside is that I can try to guarantee the safety of my Nohrian siblings, but since I won't be able to predict what would happen next, who knows if they'll 100% make it out of this war alive. This war will consume lives: this I know for a fact. And—'

Corrin stopped at the awful thought of his Hoshidan siblings taking the brunt of his Nohrian siblings' disastrous fates. The thought of Sakura and Ryoma killed by his hand sent a skull numbing throb down his spine that dispersed any lingering doubt. Corrin didn't know if he could make it out of this war sane if he were forced to witness the same fate that befell his Nohrian family consume his Hoshidan family as well.

'There was never a good answer, was there?' The dragon prince, with a forlorn expression, leapt and thrusted his sword through a wyvern's chest before sending its rider plummeting and knocking them out cold when they collided with the hard ground. 'I wonder…was there just no way for me to avoid this moral dilemma? Am I solely destined for tragedy? Well shit, fuck my life I guess. Wait no, it's not my fault—it's those fucking video game developers—you bastards could've given me a happy life, but noooo heavens forbid a Fire Emblem protagonist doesn't have trauma in their backstories before getting yeeted to Smash! …wait, what's a 'Smash'? Ah, whatever…'

As Corrin brooded over shitty plot storylines, an unexpected thought from beyond whispered to him.

'Refusing to join a side and running away would've saved them both, thus sending you down a hidden secret path to the true boss.'

Corrin jaw-dropped as he halted abruptly in the middle of the plains surrounded by Nohrian forces.

"…are you serious…? Damn it, THAT WAS AN OPTION?!" He screeched incredulously, before flinging himself dramatically onto his knees with his arms spread like an eagle's wings, head craned back and chest pointed outward at the sky. "Running away from my problems actually works?! I thought running away doesn't solve anything! I can't believe movies on TV lied to me!"

From any onlooker, it looked like the Hoshidan Noble had lost his mind. The Nohrian soldiers nearby and any approaching troops ceased their movement to glance over at the screaming prince.

"Are you fucking KIDDING ME? What secret path?! There was a secret path?! Who the fuck puts a secret path with the requirement of needing to betray the fuck out of your family?! HOW THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO GET TO THE FUCKING SECRET PATH WITHOUT DIVINE INTERVENTION?! TELL ME! SOMEONE, TELL ME! CURSE YOU, NAGA!"

Anyone who was about to fight Corrin, or even thought of engaging the albino, quickly and smartly decided that they should probably not bother him right now. In fact, something vaguely instinctual told them that for their personal well-being, they should probably just evacuate the premises altogether. Shooting each other a look of mutual agreement, the Nohrian army gingerly backed away from the utterly ballistic lunatic and searched for less worrisome opponents elsewhere.

So infuriated that he was red in the face, Corrin panted and howled out a long cry of unadulterated hysteria before finally deflating indignantly. "God-fucking-damn it! My life—what is even my life?!" He straightened up and put his head in his hands, groaning in dismay at the fact that, yep, his suffering was indeed for the sake of plot in a video game.

Corrin sighed, unsure how to feel about all this anymore as he mumbled deliriously to himself. "Wait, no. The movies didn't lie. How could they when I had never even seen a TV in the first place? That said, what's a 'movie', again? Gods, this is making my head hurt…"

After taking a couple of minutes to calm down, Corrin reluctantly pulled himself together and stood up, dusting the dirt off his greaves while grumbling sassily. "This 'running away' notion better not be reinforced or I might actually start fleeing from conflict more often."

He then entertained the idea of leaving the entire continent to its scripted demise, maybe fully moving into the astral plane and living out his lifespan blissfully in peace and ignorance. It's not like he's without family there since he now knew he was somehow related to Lilith—and he could invite Azura to move in with him, too! The thought of having a domestic life with the blue-haired Songstress made the negative emotions within him vanish like a ripple through a pond.

But then, the faces of his Hoshidan sisters flashed before his eyes as well as the words of his promise.

'Don't worry, just remember that whatever happens, I'll be there for you all. I swear it.'

That seemed to snap him out of his fantastical daydream. It was a lovely 'what-if', but he knew it would never come true. Corrin sighed again as he rubbed his forehead tiredly while propping his other hand on his hip. 'I really shouldn't. Everybody's depending on me.'

The Manakete perked up when he heard the sound of hooves trotting his way.

"There you are, big Brother! I was wondering who was screaming all by themselves out here." The joyful voice of Elise sounded out with a giggle. "But it did make it easier to find you, at least."

"Elise?" Corrin blinked in surprised at his little Nohrian sister's sudden appearance. In his past, his sister only came this close to the center of the plains because she was worried that Xander needed healing. Unfortunately, since his goal was to drive Xander away, he had to regrettably take her down. "What are you doing here?"

Before Elise could reply, Corrin quickly added in with an exasperated moan. "And please, I know what you're going to say about my armor. I know it looks bad, and I know I totally didn't think this through, so you don't have to remind me. Trust me, Xander, Camilla, and Leo have successfully drilled in that I made a mistake in changing outfits."

"Huh? What are you talking about, big Brother?" Elise cocked her head in puzzlement.

"What do you mean? You were gonna ask why I look like this, weren't you?" Corrin questioned in confusion, gesturing to his white Hoshidan garb with knitted brows.

"Ohh! Nope, I wasn't." Elise beamed at him cheerfully. "I just wanted to come check up on you!"

"...huh. Really?" Corrin replied warily, stunned. He couldn't help but suspect this to be some sort of trap considering all his other Nohrian siblings had tried valiantly to get him on their side.

As if able to read his mind—which was a talent Elise possessed sometimes—the young girl puffed out her cheeks and huffed indignantly. "Hey! What's with that skeptical look, big Brother? I really am concerned about you! Geez, you look like Leo when I told him I wanted to learn offensive spells!"

"Ah…s-sorry." The Manakete coughed awkwardly. "My apologies, Elise. It's just that Xander, Camilla, and Leo all attempted to convince me I was making a poor decision picking Hoshido over Nohr, so I thought you were here to do the same."

At that, the Troubadour drooped gloomily as her eyes shifted to the side. "Yeah, about that…honestly, big Brother, I don't blame you for joining Hoshido…we haven't been the best siblings to you lately."

"You…" Corrin squinted at her, his heart leaping at her words. "You don't blame me? You don't think I'm brainwashed, or just plain crazy for joining Hoshido?"

"No. I don't." Elise responded without missing a beat, glancing up at him with an earnest gaze in her amethyst orbs. "Corrin, I don't want to fight you. You're my brother, and I should've trusted your words more. I…" The princess paused as she frowned and looked down guiltily. "If I hadn't come across father and Iago's conversation about you, and how you knew their evil scheme all along, I'd have also begged for you to come home with us."

Corrin couldn't believe his ears. Elation threatened to boil over as he stared and listened to his Nohrian sister in awe.

"But now, I'm not going to make the same mistake as I did a week ago." The little Troubadour looked up again at him, pretty amethyst-colored eyes gleaming in determination as she confidently proclaimed. "Big Brother! I trust you! I know you're capable enough to know what you're doing by siding with Hoshido, and I know you are trying your best to save everyone's lives because you're the kindest, bestest brother in the world."

"Elise…" Corrin murmured in wonderment. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his chest at his little sister's genuine statement while hope once again sprang to life, causing his heart to pound at the realization that he could make a difference after all.

The blonde girl takes in a breath to steady herself before she nods to herself, as if mentally reaffirming a major decision. "I never thought this could happen…but you're right, big Brother. Xander taught us all that the most important thing a person should value is loyalty, and that without loyalty, you have no honor. Like what you said back there, 'loyalty goes both ways', so then as your little sister, it is my responsibility to support you! No matter where you go, I want to be there and help you succeed in whatever goal you set yourself to achieve!"

"So can I join you, big Brother?" Elise finished with big sparkly eyes, gazing at him expectantly. "I know that I'll be leaving Xander, Camilla, Leo, and father," the sparkles dimmed at that before returning with a vengeance, "but I know that everything will be alright, and that you'll protect everyone! So pleeease? Pretty, pretty, with-extra-cherries-on-top please?"

The dragon prince couldn't stop the huge grin that dominated his face. "Of course you can, Elise! I would be delighted—no, grateful—no! I would be happier than a wyvern with a bowl full of porkchops!"

"Hee hee hee yaaay!" Corrin watched as Elise hopped off her horse and skipped toward him with a big, bright smile before stopping right in front of him and animatedly tilting her head.

"Ready for an adventure? I am!" She then cheerfully tackled him in a hug, giggling ecstatically as she nuzzled his chest. The little princess gazed up at him, purple eyes shining with affection. "I'm so happy!" Elise then snuggled into the hug, giggling some more, before looking up at Corrin and letting out a contented sigh through her adorable smile.

Corrin laughed at her contagious joy and fiercely embraced her back. The tension in his body melted away as he rubbed his cheek against her soft blonde locks. "Welcome aboard, Elise! I'm so glad to have you by my side."

As the two siblings held each other tenderly, they could feel the misunderstandings and any misgivings practically dissolve into nothingness. They were cute little sister and adoring big brother once more.

Before they parted, Corrin ruffled Elise's head fondly as he smiled at her warmly. "Thanks for believing in me, Elise. You have no idea how much you've made my day."

Elise grinned back as she accepted the head pats joyfully. "Then I'm even more thankful that I made the right choice! I just want to be with you, big Brother!"

"I…" Words could not express the thrilled excitement bubbling within him as Corrin pulled her in for another quick hug, causing the girl to giggle delightedly again and reciprocate. "Thank you, dear sister."

As they separated, Corrin's expression turned serious. "Alright, Elise. Listen closely: stick by me and don't stray far, but keep your distance when I confront Xander at the center of the plains. I know you don't want to see us fight, and you won't have to."

"B-but…" The Troubadour gave him a troubled look. "I don't want you and Xander to get hurt! I also want to be there to heal anyone who's in danger."

"I know, Elise. However, I don't think he's going to listen without some 'tough love' as he calls it." Corrin rolled his eyes at the well-meaning but pig-headed ways of his older brother. "In addition, I'm not sure if you'll come out of it unscathed. In the heat of the moment, anyone could get targeted—especially if he's realized you've also defected from Nohr."

Elise's mouth dropped open in horrified shock. "What?! Big Brother, are you saying Xander would—w-would attack me?"

Thinking back to when she had jumped in front of a strike meant for him, Corrin winced as he noticed the hurt expression on Elise's face. "No—of course not—but a stray beam from Siegfried when no one's paying attention, or an accidental mislabeling of friend and foe, or—" He sighed irritably at his next statement before facepalming. "—or if Takumi continued his trigger-happy streak, you could get harmed and I nor Xander want that."

Elise blinked curiously at him, tipping her head to the side. "What's 'trigger-happy'?"

Corrin quirked a smile at her innocence. "It means he really likes to shoot things."

"Ohh." The Troubadour nodded in understanding before judgmentally huffing. "That sounds violent."

The albino chuckled in amusement. "I swear he's not that bad…usually. Besides, you need not worry about healing because Felicia and Sakura will be there. You know who Sakura is, right? She's the youngest princess of Hoshido and she's actually around your age."

"Oooh, she is?" Elise perked up at the idea of a potential playmate. "I haven't met her officially, but now I'm excited to! Alright, big Brother, if you think you've got this, then I'll follow your lead."

"Thanks Elise," the dragon prince grinned gratefully in response, "and I promise I'll make sure no one gets hurt—Xander included."

"Thank you, big Brother. That's all I wish for." Elise smiled sadly at him, eyes hopeful.

…

After hitching a ride with Elise, Corrin dropped himself off a distance away, reassured Elise he'll be okay, and began his hurried trek toward the battle. Lightning and dark fire flashed from within the small woods, just as Corrin had instructed Ryoma to go prior to the confrontation, while a pegasus with two riders soared around in the sky above, not daring to approach.

In the distance he could see five figures approaching—likely Takumi's group—so Corrin took a second to ground himself before entering the glades.

The smattering of trees had scorch marks on their bark while the faint scent of something burning permeated the air. Corrin even noticed some unfortunate ones had fallen over from deep gashes in their trunks: a testament to the might that both the legendary sword wielders possessed.

Corrin pressed on. Luckily, it didn't take long for him to spot the pair in the middle of a destroyed clearing engaged in single combat. It appeared that both had sustained injuries from the other, yet predictably neither prince were backing down. Remembering his promise to Elise, Corrin felt his mischievous side resurface as he smirked, backed up a few steps, tried to recall the concentration required for Certain Blow that future Takumi taught him, and observed a bit longer until the right opportune moment presented itself.

He could stop their fight the normal, conventional way, but that's boooring! What better way than to enter with a bang, sweep both by surprise, and bank on them being too startled to attack one another again?

Corrin stared intently at his two brothers, still going unnoticed due to their attentions focused solely on their intense duel, and patiently prowled like a hunting panther. 'NOW!'

The albino sprang forth, charging from the foliage just as Xander leapt with his horse and aimed his blade down at Ryoma, and while Ryoma stepped and swung his blade upward in a defensive arch.

In the moment where the two legendary swords of Dawn and Dusk met, creating a mesh of light and darkness tangled together and writhing for dominance, a third legendary sword of Rainbow joined their duet and forced both darkness and light to separate with a resounding clang as all three princes were ricocheted back from the force. Once all three skidded to a stop, the crowned prince and high prince both turned to the dragon prince with looks of shock marring their features.

"Corrin?!" Both exclaimed at the same time in disbelief that someone had matched their blows with equal fervor and power, and had single-handedly broken off their match.

"What are you doing? What is the meaning of this?" Xander scowled as he prepared himself to have to fight both opponents at once, his horse stepping back and snorting in apprehension.

"Where did you come from? I didn't even see you." Ryoma stated astonishedly as he slightly relaxed his tense shoulders, knowing that an ally was near.

"Well hello to you both." Corrin replied with a smug smile as he strolled toward the high prince. He brought his fist to his eldest Hoshidan brother's shoulder to give a playful bump, winking at his usually stoic face which had morphed into a look of incredulity, before turning to his eldest Nohrian brother with a similarly friendly smile.

Xander, however, was not as pleased to see him as Ryoma was. After his initial shock had worn off, the Paladin realized with dread that he now had to potentially face two powerful opponents that rivaled his own strength at the same time. However, for the sake of his kingdom, he shall prevail or literally die trying.

"We meet again…" The blond man began with a harsh glare at Corrin, wary to strike carelessly lest he face both retributions simultaneously. "So, you've chosen to take up arms against your own brother…"

"No, not quite. I refuse to fight you, Xander." Corrin responded evenly, his smile fading into a neutral line.

"Corrin?" Ryoma shot him a look of alarm. If he was not here to drive off the enemy, then how did he expect to repel the Nohrian forces?

The albino glanced over with determination shining in his eyes as he silently mouthed 'trust me'.

The High Prince of Hoshido stared hard into his younger brother's eyes, searching for something, before releasing a breath through his nose in satisfaction upon having found what he was looking for.

When he heard Corrin wasn't here to fight him, Xander couldn't help but feel minutely relieved and even a tiny bit hopeful. "Then it's not too late for all to be forgiven. Come back to Nohr with us."

Corrin restrained himself from outright facepalming at his brother's quite frankly ridiculous persistence. "I can't do that, Xander. Just because I don't want to fight doesn't mean I'm joining Nohr. I've made my decision, and I stand by it."

Xander grimaced at the other's answer, tightening his grip on Siegfried which flared ominously at his quiet anger. "How unfortunate. You truly leave me no choice. If force is the only thing that can make you listen to reason, so be it!"

"Xander!" Corrin wanted to groan in exasperation. He really was too loyal for his own good. "Why does it always have to end in brute force with you? Are you not open to a discussion, or simply retreating and regrouping?"

"What foolishness. I do not tolerate traitors in our midst, nor do I listen to petty suggestions from cowards." Xander frowned, turning ice-cold once more when Corrin rejected his last olive branch.

"Not even if I say 'pretty please with-extra-cherries-on-top'?" The albino prince tried, grinning cheekily.

Ryoma dumbfoundedly watched his brother's 'expert' negotiation skills with a sweatdrop.

"..."

There was a pregnant pause as Xander simply stared down Corrin expressionlessly. Finally, he reanimates by raising Siegfried threateningly at the Hoshido Noble. "...enough. I, the Crown Prince of Nohr, shall be made a fool no longer by listening to this babble. Face me, enemy of Nohr, or surrender. These are the options that your wretched mind must decide hereupon or face my wrath."

Despite the intimidating speech, Corrin merely rolled his eyes at Xander's theatrics. 'There he goes with his ridiculously stuffy formal way of speaking. He only does that in front of people he doesn't trust like Iago or Garon…' Corrin then realized something and winced. 'And now me, too…ah damn, well that kinda hurts.'

Feeling his sardonic side rear itself in response to the emotional damage, Corrin grouched at the stubborn Nohrian prince. "Oh knock it off, big Brother! Can't you just relax for a moment and let that stick out of your ass?!"

"'Let that stick'—I beg your pardon?!" Xander scrunched his brows and did a double take, unsure whether to feel insulted or not due to Corrin's sassy tone verses his lack of comprehension.

"You heard me!" Corrin retorted defiantly, too far gone in his indignation yet again.

"I've no knowledge of what an 'ass' is, but I surmise it's not a very pleasant place for a stick to be." Xander sneered disdainfully, his mount shifting agitatedly upon sensing its master's annoyance.

Ryoma shot Corrin a look as if silently asking him to elaborate. Corrin, with a deadpan stare, slapped a hand to his lower back as if he's slapping a horse's behind. The implications of what an 'ass' was suddenly dawned upon Ryoma, causing him to let loose a loud snort in a very unprincely manner. Immediately, he slammed a gloved hand over his mouth, turning away with shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.

Xander eyed both men with a nasty glare, shifting his gaze between the two while feeling left out of the loop. "I've no inkling of what you two are on about, however, it seems you've made your choice, knave. Instead of a merciful surrender, you choose to fight after all despite any previous claims. I should've known better than to waste my time listening to the words of a traitor."

"No—Xander, I am not fighting you! I'm not going to attack you, but I'm not surrendering either. There is a difference." Corrin growled frustratedly, feeling his patience dwindling away like before. However, he was steadfast to keep his promise to Elise. It was the least he could do since she took a leap of faith in him.

"Yet still decidedly not on the side of Nohr." Xander stated matter-of-factly, as if that was the black-and-white answer to this gray dilemma. His brow softened a tad as his speech turned a bit less formal. "Tch. Why…? Why would you turn on us? Even if we aren't blood related, don't you feel any loyalty at all?" Xander bemoaned their present circumstance, taking a brief moment of silence. "I…always thought of you as a brother…"

"...damn it all." The harsh exterior of the Crown Prince of Nohr reappeared as Xander readied his weapon for the final time. "Nohrian law is clear upon the punishment of traitors: execution with no chance of pardon. If I must slay you myself, then so be it. I've none to blame other than my poor judgment for sowing bad seeds and nurturing a fruitless warrior."

Corrin's breath hitched, panic seizing his chest as he felt something in him on the verge of snapping.

"Why won't you listen to me?!" Corrin yelled in anger. Internally, driven by his inner anxiety of everything going downhill and that he'll end up with Xander skewered on Yato again, all his bottled negative emotions from their previous encounter spilled over and began making a mess of his composure.

Ryoma simply observed the two on the sidelines, shooting a worried glance at Corrin every now and then. He knew this was something the albino needed to sort out with the crowned prince, so he respectfully stayed out of their conversation, but he could sense something ugly brewing under Corrin's annoyed visage.

"There is no point in listening to the cries of a traitor." The older man grumbled seethingly, glaring at the platinum blond prince. "You have betrayed Nohr, your dear siblings, and my trust. You no longer deserve my affections. I offered countless chances to right your wrong because I loved you as my little brother, yet you denied all of them. You have none to blame but yourself. Now stand down or fall early to my sword."

At those words, Corrin felt the thing in him finally snap.

"NO! Listen to me! You claim that you care about me, but have you really considered how I feel?!" The albino roared, eyes wide and enraged at the other's audacity to even say that to him. With his nonchalant façade broken to pieces, the Manakete unleashed the torrent of words that were clogged in his throat from before; the same words that he couldn't get out earlier.

"Xander, I watched King Garon murder my father right in front of my eyes. He kidnapped me, wiped my memories, and practically threw me into a dungeon disguised as a fortress for more than a decade! Do you seriously not understand how much I am not okay with that?!" Corrin shouted furiously, voice raw with emotion as the wet sheen over his eyes returned. "I was taken away against my will from the only family I've ever known—mother, my mother would've died today from your father's schemes just like King Sumeragi if I hadn't known that it would happen! How did I know it would happen, you may ask? Because I come from the future—WHICH YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE!"

At this, Ryoma gazed at Corrin with a pang of sadness in his heart as he witnessed his baby brother's meltdown. He knew the albino prince must've suffered greatly while away from Hoshido, and so the high prince inwardly cursed at the Nohrian king more for it. Xander, however, had reschooled his face to a blank stern mask after being taken aback by Corrin's sudden outburst.

"Look. I know you, and Camilla, and the others had never viewed me any different than as one of your own, and I am eternally grateful for all that you've done for me, but I can't—I just can't—" Corrin gasps wetly, taking in deep gulps yet feeling like he couldn't get enough air in his lungs. "I can't overlook his dastardly, motherfucking shit-faced lies anymore! You think I want to go against you?! You think I want to go to war against Nohr?! You think I want to betray my family?! I don't want to do any of that—but I need to! I have to! What else can I do?!"

Corrin heaved, head bowed in dismay as he let loose a small sob that surprised both of the older men present. "Wh-why, WHY—"

He glared up at the blond Paladin who only blinked at his teary-eyed outrage. His voice then boomed and echoed while faint bubbles began to form near his bare feet, and Ryoma realized with a start that Corrin was currently so volatile that he was losing control over his draconic side. The dragon within him was literally roaring at the crowned prince.

"WHY CAN'T YOU LOOK PAST THIS STUPID TRAITOR THING AND BE A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING?!"

Whether or not Xander noticed the tiny bubbles by his feet or the otherworldly quality that Corrin's voice took on, he did not outwardly show it.

Managing to rein in his draconic fury before he went berserk, Corrin panted with a pained expression like he had ran a marathon before he continued his rant. His tone had returned to normal, but it was still laced with turmoil and anguish. "Are you seriously going to keep turning a blind eye to all the horrible deeds King Garon had done?! You are a grown man, and I know you have the capability to see right from wrong. You can't possibly tell me what he's doing is something you completely agree with. Where is your sense of justice?!"

"...hmph." Xander chuffed before he gave Corrin a cruel, mocking smile. "You don't get it, do you? As expected, you are naïve, foolish, too inexperienced to understand how this world works." He then loomed forward, his face contorted to a wicked snarl, and Corrin could only helplessly listen to his spitting words. "Life is cruel, little prince, and justice had long since perished. It is best to get that notion down before it is too late."

The albino prince could only gape in stupefaction. A whirlpool of sensations swirled in his gut while a cacophony of thoughts stormed in his mind. He didn't know what to think, and only knew how to react.

Xander straightened, a commanding aura surrounded him as he growled. "As to all that unnecessary babble, I've one answer: you are nothing but a coward and a traitor."

"Shut the hell up, big Brother!" Corrin wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to rip out the fourth wall and tear the author a new one. He was so mad he was sure something in his body was about to pop like a balloon. "You think this choice is easy for me?! You think that it's easy for me to just flippantly abandon the family that I loved and grew up with?! Well, spoiler alert, it's not! I don't want to ki—hurt you! I don't want you to die a damn martyr! I just—I just want—"

Corrin gripped the cloth and string above his heart tightly as he sobbed, eyes wet as he stared at the crowned prince. "I just want my older brother back…"

"Corrin…" Ryoma breathed, gazing at him gently in empathy. The high prince didn't quite understand why the platinum blond found it so difficult to let go of his affiliation with the Nohrian royals—he has his Hoshidan family by his side now, after all—but what he did know was that the Nohrians were of great importance to him. As his older brother, he loved Corrin too much to not respect the other's feelings toward the crowned prince regardless of how much envy it may or may not cause him.

Contrasting Ryoma's look of tenderness, Xander simply glared at the sad Manakete with a stoney exterior before he once again raised Siegfried. "...I have nothing more to say to you."

"Hah…of course you don't." Corrin smiled bitterly as tears finally streamed down his face. He then shouted in pure heartbreak. "You always have nothing to say until it's too late!"

Xander, seemingly having lost all his patience, rushed at him with full intention to cut him down. Ryoma was about to react and defend Corrin when he worriedly noticed the albino was visibly convulsing next to him.

"Corrin?" Ryoma called out for the third time that encounter, startled, as he noticed countless bubbles erupting from the albino's mouth like steam would from a red dragon. Just as Xander neared, the blond also caught sight of Corrin's unusual bodily emission, but decided to continue pushing forward with his momentum and attempted to strike him.

"RAAAAAHHRGH!" Ryoma wasn't sure if that was the dragon or Corrin who unleashed that battlecry as the Hoshidan Noble violently swung Yato to deflect Xander's attack. Just as Yato's golden sheen flowed through the air, Corrin's angered and tormented face morphed into the leathery navy mask of his half-dragon form. Xander's eyes widened in astonishment as Dragon Fang activated.

The Paladin's horse automatically launched itself back from the hybrid form, nervous at the dangerous aura Corrin was radiating. Meanwhile, its rider could only stare at Corrin in slight mortification.

"So what Hans had reported was true…" Xander muttered to himself as he kept his eyes trained on the antlered monstrosity in front of him. He had half a mind to keep note of the high prince, but the transformed Manakete was growling too gutturally for his comfort to divert his attention. "Corrin…what happened to you…? What are you?"

Instead of answering with words, the Manakete wailed and charged at him like a mad beast. The hand that wasn't holding Yato rapidly shifted into a bandaged needle-like arm which he utilized to thrust forth like a lance. Xander and his horse swiftly ducked to the side, wine-colored eyes wide as his head turned—blond locks swaying—in slow-motion to watch the literal spike shrink and retreat.

Xander's battle instincts took over as Corrin came at him with his Yato. He managed to block the hit and countered with a slash of his own. The Terminator-reindeer fusion parried his sword with his still elongated arm, howling wildly.

Ryoma watched on, gobsmacked. While he knew of Corrin's draconic origins, he's never seen him this out of control before. The Swordmaster would like to aid Corrin in defeating the Nohrian commander, but he wasn't sure if his assistance would hinder his brother—or worse, turn himself into a casualty instead.

Corrin kept on lunging at him with his spear-like arm and defending his blows, causing Xander to become increasingly frustrated at making no leeway in this battle. However, the crowned prince's endless hours of training paid off as he spotted an opportunity.

While Corrin was definitely intimidating when he's thoughtlessly thrusting and swinging, the universal rule of attack patterns still applied: which meant the timing of an enraged enemy was still deducible by a cool head.

When Corrin presented him with an opening—a brief recoil period where the Manakete had to rest and regain his stamina—Xander urged his horse to leap back as he readied Siegfried. With both hands, he brought the flaming blade to his face, pommel posed elegantly to his chest, and intently focused on his target.

"You're right where I want you!"

With a great pounce, the Paladin came sailing through the air and brought the dark blade down with all his might. For a tense moment, time seemed to slow as he finally landed a solid hit on the hybrid Manakete and forced Corrin to stumble back a step. There was now a deep gash on Corrin's shoulder where he held Yato, and not wanting to lose the advantage, Xander attempted to follow-up with an upward slash before agilely vaulting away.

Keyword being 'attempted'.

As if waiting for that exact attack, the transformed Corrin ceased moving once he saw his brother soaring on his horse toward him. Suddenly quiet, the dragon prince allowed himself to be struck, but did not allow his prey to get away. In a flash, Corrin willed his free left arm to turn into a large gaping maw and chomp down on the horse's front just as pain and fire exploded from his right shoulder. Ignoring the clauterized injury, Corrin gripped onto Xander's panicking horse hard enough to lift—but not hard enough to pierce into its flesh—spun on his heels, and threw both man and horse like a baseball with all his strength.

Xander and Ryoma couldn't believe what was happening as before neither could react, the crowned prince and his mount were sent flying and crashing into nearby thickets and trees.

"Agh!" The Nohrian prince cried out from the collision, having nearly gotten crushed by his whinnying horse. The equine beast struggled in a blind panic as it tried to scramble up, its instincts screaming that it should not be laying down while Corrin was around. Xander clawed his way to standing using the tree he slammed into before skillfully snatching his spooked mount's reins before it could flee. From over the horse's armored shoulder, Xander could see Corrin menacingly approaching them, body lowered as he ferally stalked forth with certainty like a predator encroaching closer for the kill.

"GRRAAAAAAH!" The Terminator-reindeer fusion took a step forward and screeched while his maw-arm snapped hungrily by his side, frightening his horse more. Before him bared no semblance of the Corrin that he knew: only a mindless monster remained.

Knowing when he was outmatched, Xander immediately mounted his horse which was as anxious to get out of there as its rider. Pulling on its reins, Xander stared down at his baby brother in horror at what he's become. "How is this possible…? We must retreat! This isn't over, Corrin…"

Rearing its front hooves to kick in case Corrin came any closer, the Paladin's horse neighed loudly before turning and barreling out the glades.

Upon witnessing the crowned prince's retreat, Corrin paused as if to listen for something, before slumping his shoulders, standing up properly from his lowered position, and sighed tiredly while his toothy arm morphed back into its normal state. "FINALLY, IT'S OVER…"

"Corrin?" Came the bewildered voice of the High Prince of Hoshido from behind him.

The transformed Manakete turned to look over at his older brother. Ryoma had the most flabbergasted expression Corrin's ever seen—and that was counting the wedding reception where he was stalked by three people simultaneously—and it pulled an amused snicker out from the Hoshido Noble.

"HEH. YES, RYOMA?" The mask and horns faded away into bubbles, revealing teasing crimson orbs and a cheeky smirk. "You've been calling my name for the past few minutes. What can I do for you, big Brother?"

"You…" The red-clad warrior slowly shook his head, dark gray eyes earnest and shining with relief. "I had thought…you appeared to have lost control. I was concerned that I almost lost you…"

"Oh, that." Corrin smiled sheepishly as he sheathed Yato and casually walked over to the older man, acting like as if he hadn't just scared the shit out of both his brothers. "You thought I had gone insane, too? Haha, thanks for the compliment! I knew I had good acting skills stored somewhere!"

"Corrin…" Ryoma stared into Corrin's eyes searchingly. The dragon prince stared back calmly. Eventually, the older prince seemed to have found what he was looking for yet again as he sighed, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. "I don't believe that was all just an act. Are you alright, my dear sibling? I know that encounter must have been tough on your spirit."

Corrin's nonchalant smile weakened at that as he playfully muttered, "damn. Observant and insightful as always, I see. I thought the tears were pretty convincing, y'know?"

Ryoma reopened his eyes and gazed at the other softly. "I admit, it was a nice touch." He then carefully put a hand on Corrin's shoulder and gave him a warm-hearted smile. "But know that you have done well, Corrin. I could tell some time during that showdown, regardless of the inner anguish you harbored, you were holding back and had consistently missed the crowned prince on purpose just to terrify him away. While your process was unorthodox by many standards, you indeed kept your word to neither attack nor surrender to the Crown Prince of Nohr. Well done, little Brother."

Corrin chuckled at that before bringing a hand to cover his older brother's affectionately. "You saw through that faster than Xander did. I'm impressed. It's been only a week and you've already got me figured out. You never cease to surprise me with how much you think about your family, big Brother."

Ryoma heartily laughed as they shared an easy camaraderie with each other. "I think I should be the one saying that considering what had happened here moments ago."

The younger male grinned slyly like he hadn't been the one who halted the princes' intense duel and tricked the Crown Prince of Nohr into retreating. Nope, not him! Not innocent, kind-hearted Corrin!

Then, as if recalling something, Corrin deflates with a sulking pout.

Ryoma blinked and raised an eyebrow curiously at the sudden mood change. "What's troubling you now, Corrin?"

Said albino lets out an irked breath as he deadpanned. "I just remembered that my life is a double lie, and my suffering is for pure plot reasons."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Corrin patted the hand on his shoulder reassuringly while snickering at his dumbfounded brother.

Ryoma frowned at him before pinning him with a serious look. "Corrin…I know you don't wish to discuss this now as the scars have been made fresh anew, but I pray that you know that I, and the rest of your family here in Hoshido, are here to support you. If you need anything from us or anyone to converse with, simply ask."

Corrin stared into the eyes of his elder sibling with an expression of uncertain fragile hope before a genuinely grateful smile bloomed across his face. He held out his arms and asked with a slightly hoarse voice and saddened smile. "Then can I have a hug, bro?"

Ryoma didn't hesitate to fulfill Corrin's request. The swordsman instantly and passionately embraced his younger brother in his two strong arms, offering unconditional comfort and warmth to the other who had felt like he had just lost the only father figure in his life all over again.

…

Takumi's group managed to actually intercept Xander's backup troops, and had dealt with them immediately. At some point, Hinoka and Sakura had also joined in on their efforts. However, while they were in the middle of combat, the crowned prince himself had rode past them shouting orders to fall back. It had surprised all of them before the Nohrian soldiers were jolted into action, carrying the injured and leaving the dead as they scurried away like ants after their commander. Shortly thereafter, news of Nohr's retreat spread across the plains like a swarm of locusts as the Nohrian army disengaged and fled back toward the Bottomless Canyon.

The Hoshidan army felt a wave of relief wash over them because they could finally take a breather from the onslaught. However, they knew that this was merely the first of many attacks to come.

Nonetheless overjoyed that they managed to survive, a few Hoshidan warriors began gossiping about their newly reunited Hoshidan prince being a time traveling dragon before getting scolded by their superiors for conversing about 'top secret information' as Yukimura had labeled it.

Either way, hushed whispers of hope and bravado echoed amongst the Hoshidan ranks, reverbrating and unintentionally boosting the moral of the Hoshidan army. After all, how could you lose when a literal dragon from the future was backing you up?

Of course, Corrin was unaware of this development in the background born from the consequences of his actions because he had far more important matters to tend to.

…

When Xander arrived back at the Nohrian army's base camp situated just east of the Bottomless Canyon encroaching onto Hoshidan lands, Leo rode up to him on his horse and cordially greeted him. The Dark Knight had bandages wrapped over his torso and arm under his dark armor, yet despite his pale complexion due to his grievous wounds, the young prince was still up and about taking care of logistics and formulating backup strategies.

"Brother." Leo addressed Xander with a nod, who in turn nodded back.

"Report." Xander grunted as they both entered the camp and came to a trot.

"There are approximately 398 men who have not yet reported back for duty, likely either dead, missing, or having deserted. 549 are injured, but alive and capable of continuing their service. 337 are critically injured and are currently being attended to. According to our spies, the Hoshidans are not doing any better. Both sides are evenly matched in losses, yet their moral is somehow higher than ours. It seems many are delusional in believing that there is a 'time dragon' aiding their war efforts. I've sent Niles to further investigate that rumor."

Xander snorted at that ridiculous notion before nodding as they neared the stables. "What of our sisters and yourself? I see you've suffered injuries as well."

Leo scoffed at the mention of his own state. "Yes…I don't quite remember my last moments on the battlefield clearly, but it seems that I was defeated. A shame and a pity. Fortunately, at least according to the healers, I was rescued by a soldier who goes by the name of Thomas just as I was about to be killed. The man in question tried to deny the claim; however, it's apparent that he's being humble."

Xander raised a brow at that, but he was inwardly glad his younger brother had escaped death's door. "I see. I'll have a word with that man and see if I can't grant him a promotion."

"Indeed." Leo continued his report impassively. "Camilla was found near the west side of the dried stream with her wyvern defending her, unconscious but thankfully alive. She is currently resting in her tent."

Xander nodded as he and Leo dismounted and began putting away their horses. "May she be granted a swift recovery. What of Elise?"

At this, Leo froze. "...was she not with you?"

Xander's hands paused in his act of shedding his mount's armor before swiveling to the younger male in alarm. The Paladin paled in fright while an uneasy feeling settled in his gut like a stone sinking below a pond. "No. How could she be with me? I was in the most dangerous part of the plains engaged with the Hoshidan high prince for the majority of the conflict."

Leo's brows furrowed in grave concern. "Well, last anyone's heard, she had ridden further inward to your location to check in case you needed assistance…"

The two blonds shared a moment of ghastly silence.

"Wait…" A look of terrible worry dawned in Leo's chestnut-colored eyes, fearing the worst while his voice weakly trailed off. "If you never saw her, then where's Elise…?"

Another pregnant pause filled with barely concealed horror sounded out between the frozen Nohrian heirs.

"Gods, you don't think she's—"

"Don't finish that sentence, Leo." Xander interrupted warningly, now stressed and angered beyond words. He quickly saddled up his mount again before hopping on, his tired steed snorting skittishly at its master's sudden urgency. "We…we will find her…and if not," Xander's eyes darkened with a morbid promise as he gritted his teeth in pure fury, "then I will not rest until my last breath to ensure those Hoshidan dogs pay for taking away two of our precious siblings from us."

With that, Xander spurred his horse into a fast gallop out of their base, swerving and jumping over people and obstacles alike without slowing down while in his mad search across the barren aftermath of the empty plains.