A/N: Yasei still seems to be short on a few things, and I'm not just talking about her height, either! She's still without Yato and her Dragonstone, though she does have a custom-made Naginata and Spear Fighter-style armor from her big sister. Let's try and get something a bit more comfortable in her hands this chapter, eh?

Consort: What's this? Azura knows and is actually doing things?! *gasp*. Erm, but yes. She has her own role to play in all of this.

Clever word use is a way to go. I mean, you could've easily bypassed the canon 'Valla' curse by… well, giving it a different name. Why not call it Valm? Since, y'know… Fates already ripped off a chunk of Awakening's cast.

Antex: Interlude Support… I like that. That's what Supports without 'ranks' will be called! Though, if you're waiting for the meaning to be confirmed by me… it's gonna be a looooong time.

Welp, here it is!

I wake up, bright and early in the morning, a lot earlier than I normally do. In fact, it's so early that I don't think Xander would be training at this hour… huh. The lack of sunlight streaming in from the windows is proof of that, even my Nohrian big brother has his limits. I look over to one of the corners of my room, where I placed most of the gifts from Hinoka, except the armor, which is currently being resized. It's sort of bittersweet, knowing that there's a war that will be coming soon.

There's no way I'll be able to fight with a Katana, I'm too used to Nohrian Sword fighting. Well, the truth is that I don't want to fight anyone at all, but… I alone won't be able to stop this from happening. I'm going to need support from other people, hopefully Izama can at least soften some of the worst parts. Gods… I really don't want to fight any of my family.

I rub my eyes and yawn, before deciding to get out of bed and dress for the day, ooo… I can wear the dress Hinoka gifted me! Let's see, today I should probably check up on the lead Shrine Maiden, since my new ointment should surely be ready by now… which would also give me a chance to check up on Reina. I'd like to also see Takumi, since I can only vaguely remember what he's like.

'Oh, this feels so good…' I run my hands over the fabric on this dress and… wow. Sure, the sleeves are a bit long, but unlike a set of armor, that doesn't bother me as much. I smile as I do a swift twirl, letting the ends extend a bit. Oh! I also put white lily pin into my hair, left side, and… hrm. While I would love to apply that nail polish, that will have to wait, I'll worry about really 'looking' like a Princess later.

I take no more than two steps out of my room, and… "Kaze? I'm going to head to the lead Shrine Maiden for my ointment."

Yep, there he is, appearing from nowhere. Though, I spot the briefest of smiles as he pulls out a jar, which looks more decorated than the last one he was… wait a minute. "Subaki stopped by earlier, he handed this jar to me, as well as extending a 'be well' to you, my liege."

Oh… oh! Well, that's wonderful. Subaki… "Did Subaki say how Reina was holding up?" Oh, sweet relief. "I'm glad he did that, too and, uh… go right ahead, might as well try it out now!" I bend down to get the left side of my dress up, which is quite longer than the other one…

"Reina is conscious and is able to move around, but she won't be able to train for a few days… going into battle is out of the question for at least a week." He complies with applying the ointment. "Lady Sakura has almost made her own recovery. Thankfully, the majority of those injured in the explosion have now physically healed, so our Shrine Maidens won't be so overworked." This ointment, when compared to the other, feels a lot cooler, and I can pick up a… mint-based scent. I barely feel any agitation to my own Wound, but I'm still going to be careful. Even if it manages to cover it completely, the skin itself is still weak. "It should form a thin, but dense casing after a few minutes. It won't be enough to stop any direct attacks, but it will at least prevent damage from any sort of standard training."

Yeah, it isn't perfect, but it's better than what I had. "That's good to know, Kaze. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my liege… now, may I ask what has gotten you up so early? There will still be several hours until breakfast, though if you wish for a meal, I can secure one." He caps off the jar and places it back in one of his hidden pockets.

I let my dress drop back into position, and I just… shrug. "I dunno, I just, woke up? Well, back in Nohr, I would actually be awake in about a… hour from now? It was for starting to train and studying, though… my Maids would have to wake me up, with Ice Magic. On my cheeks." I smile, though I could swear that I felt a tinge of cold on my cheeks from recalling that.

He frowns, then shakes his head, "Even an hour from now? My liege, there are still several hours until daylight, at least two before Lord Ryoma would even consider training. That is far too early, everyone needs their sleep."

"Work needs to be done, and things won't wait just because you're asleep. If I'm awake and have the energy to, then I'll do it." I counter… with what big brother Xander told me.

"I can appreciate the determination to see a job done, but there are limits. I only ask that you don't push your body too far, my liege." He… sounds like he's agreeing? To an extent, anyway.

"Ah, Lady Corrin?" Around the corner, Ignis walks, "Well, this is a nice surprise…" He smoothly smiles.

"Good morning, Ignis. How are you?" I respond in kind.

"Is Lady Azura well?" Kaze asks.

"I am quite well, Lady Corrin… and I was just returning from my liege, though I hadn't expected you to be up at this hour." He nods to me, "Would you care to join my liege for a quick chat? She requested me for your presence." A quick glance to Kaze, and he adds, "She is well, fully rested and ready for whatever may come."

Huh… "Oh, good! I was hoping to talk to her, anyway." I return with a smile. "I'd be glad to join… Kaze?"

Kaze seemed ready to answer, but Ignis politely clears his throat, "Between my liege and Lady Corrin, though if you wish to stand guard, then feel free, but Lady Azura wishes to speak with her, one-on-one."

"Then I will do so, I dare not leave my liege too far from help." Kaze stiffly replies.

"I can understand your concern, Kaze, but have faith. We are well protected within the city… and neither of our lieges are simple 'damsels in distress' are they?" Ignis attempts to reason.

But, Kaze seems adamant in his position, not that I can blame him, "I have faith in my liege's capabilities, but that is no reason to leave them unguarded. Even the best of warriors can be taken down."

Oh, dear… "Ignis? Kaze? I know how to cast a Zone of Silence… though it will be small. That way you both can be near, but you won't have to worry about sensitive information being shared." Ah yes, one of the few non-Tome spells I managed to pick up from my little-big-brother Leo!

Kaze takes a moment to register that, whilst Ignis lets out a refined chuckle, "Ah, pardon me… I had briefly forgotten the Zone of Silence. I focused on my martial capabilities, so I may not exactly remember all of the spells that Nohr would teach."

Well, I can agree with that, his sword and bow are pretty high-quality. "Well, shall we depart?" I ask.

Ignis nods, "Indeed, please, follow me." With that said, Ignis is in front, I'm next, and Kaze is closely behind. "My liege is at Shirasagi's lake…" He adds, and the trip itself is rather uneventful…

Azura is standing on the dock, where I think I remember first seeing her? Oh, right, she was singing that weird, but oddly calming song… as she is now, actually. Ah yes, I can recall our first meeting a lot clearer now. "My liege." Ignis announces. "Lady Corrin is here, as is her retainer, Kaze."

She startles for a moment, "Iggy!" She rounds on him, before holding her mouth closed for a second, "Erm… Ignis." She restarts, "It's good to see you, Lady Corrin… Kaze." She smiles.

Huh, 'Iggy'. That's kinda cute, actually. "You as well, Lady Azura." I return the greeting with a smile of my own. "How are you doing?"

Kaze remains silent, and both he and 'Iggy' keep some extra distance. "Mostly recovered…" She pauses, "Singing that song can be done with magical effects, but doing so can drain my reserves very quickly." She darts her eyes away for a moment, "Especially if there are those who attempt to interrupt."

"And I will thank you for that, Azura. You soothed my mind, and… I don't want to think what would have happened, had I not been stopped. Big Brother was already injured enough." I stop myself from thinking that route. "Though, I don't remember much on my own, I was a… Dragon?"

Azura hesitates, then gestures to me to come to the edge of the dock… which I do. Once we're close, she shakes her head, "Princess Corrin? You aren't a Dragon."

"But, I transformed into one." I counter.

She points a finger at me, "You aren't a Dragon, you assume the form of one… that makes you a Manakete… a half-Manakete. Though it seems you inherited more of your human parent's blood, as you seem to lack the more common appearance traits… slitted eyes and pointed ears."

Manakete. While I never heard of the term before, it feels so smooth… so right. "Manakete." I echo, and then I realize… That's a Vallite term! "Azura?"

"I am not. I was born in Nohr." She sternly answers.

"...Please don't do that, answering something I haven't asked."

"Apologies, but am I wrong?" She doesn't seem too 'sorry', as her face has this almost… stone-like appearance.

"That's… yes, that is what I was going to ask." I let out a small sigh, "Still, you've had to have Vallite parents, right?"

"Grandparents, mother's side. The information that I know about Valla has been passed down." She confirms. "My mother spoke of her mother's tales… of a land rich with magic and so many wonders Nohr and Hoshido don't have…" She looks over to the lake.

"Can we get there?"

"No." A single tear drops. "The only way to get to Valla is by portal, but… the connection network has been severed."

Oh great, she's also really good with magic. "And it can't just be repaired?"

My lack of magical knowledge is displayed with that single question. "No, allow me to clarify…" She stoops down and touches the water once. "This isn't a single disturbance in the network, like this one circle of ripples…" She speaks Vallite, but its words I don't quite understand. However, the effect is obvious. It's like a number of pebbles have been thrown in at various points, and there are dozens of ripples, each ripple clashing with another, breaking off and forming more. "It's every single possible connection. The magic that it would take to do that… it has to be no less than a god." She pauses, then turns back to me.

"And we can still repair enough of them to form a portal… it would just take time, right?"

"As well as magic, and lots of it…" She nods. "There would also be a strict time limit, if this creature is still looking for connections that are being mended." Another pause… "Corrin? I wish to aid you, but I'm afraid I lack the magic it takes to do it."

Huh… "Aid me, with?"

"To put it plainly, re-entering your Dragon Form would be very dangerous. By instinct, you'll be more powerful, and I doubt I will be able to pull you back next time, even if I had absolutely no interruptions. What you need is what every Manakete needs… a Dragonstone. However, as I was attempting to make one for you, I came across an error…" She trails off.

And I think. "So, I can't just master it with trials? Going into my Dragon Form would just leave me… berserked? Azura, if I can help…"

"It's either I'm lacking magic still, or… your Dragon Form is far more powerful than any other Manakete's. I had a Dragonstone ready, but…" She reaches into her dress, and shows it to me. "Touch it." It's a beautiful blue gem, a Sapphire, glowing with energy… magic. It gives off a similar vibe as her singing… calming and soothing. I reach out to touch it…

For a second, nothing happens, but soon after? It chips, it cracks, and then the gem shatters in Azura's hands, but not flying out in shards, simply falling apart. "What?"

"You have too much in you, Corrin. The Dragonstone simply couldn't contain it." Azura explains. "I cannot imagine who could be so powerful in your Manakete heritage, because I followed every last step of the Vallite Tome to the point." She cups her hands, and throws the shards into the lake. "I don't know what I'm missing… the only logical explanation is that either I am lacking in magic, or perhaps… the Sapphire gems Hoshido has aren't good enough." A short pause, "Well, to be honest, it calls for 'Azurite' gems, but those only grow in Valla."

Alright then… "I'll just not use my Dragon Form then, easy." No, it isn't, I can still remember the raw power it holds, no, it isn't just the power itself. It feels right.

"Fighting without a Dragonstone is dangerous in itself. As a battle goes on, you'll begin to feel a higher urge to shift, to the point where you won't be able to stop yourself. This feeling will expedite if you are in serious trouble, or something causes you panic… even an intense and persistent irritated feeling can trigger a transformation."

She does know quite a lot about my problems, it seems… "Did this tome inform you of all of this?"

She smiles, if for a moment, "Indeed, and I'd be glad to refer you to it. The tome is in the Hoshidan Royal Library. 'Vallite Water Rituals and Components'."

Ah-ha! "I saw that one, but I don't understand much of Vallite." Or Hoshidan, for that matter.

The smile turns into a frown, "You can't? That's unfortunate… Vallite is filled with smooth and elegant pronunciations, words tend to have a 'flare' to them. I'd be happy to teach you how to read Vallite."

"I would very much appreciate that, Azura! Maybe you could also share some of your mother's stories with me?" Basis for a friendship, have been formed! "So, you asked if I could help…?"

"You and I both know Vallite magic, I was wondering that if we worked together, we could form a gem powerful enough…" Azura suggests. "It will be a very draining task, Azurites are fairly uncommon, but that's in Valla… forcing the creation of one will be very taxing."

"I'll do it!" I quickly respond. "It'll be worth it, Azura. If I can have full control of my Dragon form then… I can much more easily protect my family and friends… like you!" I give her a full smile.

And she seems to… startle from it? "You… consider me a friend?"

"Of course!"

"We've only met twice… well, thrice, but you were…"

"Do you not want to be friends?" I'll admit, that came out intending to 'guilt' her into it… but, then again… Elise did the same thing to Flora.

Azura seems to concede with a smile, "Very well then, Corrin. Let us be friends… and we'll have this Azurite gem as proof of our friendship. Come then… I hope you don't mind getting wet." Azura steps from the dock and into the lake.

'Water is my element.' I nod, "I…" Oh, wait. "Actually, I don't want to get this dress wet… Hinoka gave it to me as one of her seventeen Birthday Gifts she wasn't able to get me… uh, one moment." Once more, I slip out of my dress… but at least I'm wearing panties? I would don a bra, but uh… I don't got anything to support. "Kaze? Could you also hold this dress?"

He is near me within five seconds, "Of course, my liege. Shall I fetch some towels, as well?"

"No need, Kaze. I always bring towels when my liege wishes to go to a lake." Ignis calls back.

I give Kaze my thanks, and in my near nudity… I walk into the lake with Azura. "So, how does this work?" We're both over waist deep in this lake.

Azura extends her arms. "Join hands, and I will take care of the rest… but again, know that this will take a large amount of magic to make. I have recovered since then, though I know I can't do this on my own." She takes a breath, "Corrin? If it becomes too much, just squeeze my hands tightly, okay?"

I reach out and hold her hands, then confirm with a nod, "I'm ready." Wow, her hands are really soft…

Azura begins humming a tune, which turns into a song, one different than the one she usually sings. A few seconds in, and her amulet begins glowing… two more seconds, and I feel magic being pulled out… of me. It's a sort of burning feeling, but I keep holding on. This Dragonstone will be worth it, I know it will be! I grit my teeth, dig my toes into the ground, squint my eyes… anything except squeezing my hands. 'I can handle this!'

And then I let out a vicious growl, it seems my Dragon doesn't agree with this. I can feel it, the changes… a tail sprouts, every sense becomes so much sharper, I can feel every single splash of water, I can pinpoint everything within this lake with touch and smell… and I pick up the scent of… blood? However, I force the Dragon back, I can't… not without this Dragonstone. 'I need to trust Azura on this.'

Nearly three minutes after this 'mana-draining' has begun, and I… can't. I squeeze her hands, and Azura simply nods. The strange burning feeling fades, and I stagger, but I don't fall backwards. My tail fades, and my senses dull once more. Our hands are still joined. However, now I see Azura wincing in the same kind of pain I was just feeling. I watch her for one, two… five minutes. Nearly ten minutes pass before she stops singing, and then begins a chant. The water in between our bodies and arms begins to light up in a light blue… and from the exact center of this now-glowing water a single gem begins to form.

Unlike the Sapphire Azura had earlier, this gem is well… almost exactly like the one in her pendant. Dark-blue, the only difference is that Azura's gem has a sort of… sparkle inside of it, and there are these small ripple-like waves.

Two more minutes, the glow fades, and Azura stops. "It is done, Corrin…" She takes a heavy breath, "This… is an Azurite." She pulls her hands away. "Take it, focus on it for about an hour, and it will turn into a Dragonstone."

"Just like that?" I first ask, as I grab it. Oh, it's so beautiful!

"Indeed." She nods.

And I glance at her pendant, "But, your Azurite…?"

She shakes her head, "No, this is now a Waterstone. Over time, a Waterstone stores water so that I won't have to draw on my own." She looks down at her pendant. "Right now, it is completely drained, as noted by the specks. Once enough time passes, the specks will fade, and the color will change to a lighter blue."

I nod, "Well, thank you, Azura!" I smile… then it hits me. Something I only felt a few times before. Magical exhaustion. Instead of feeling an intense soreness in my muscles and body like I would with physical exhaustion, I feel a creeping headache, along with blurred senses and… yep. "I need to…" I try to walk away, but within two steps, I stumble over.

"Corrin!" Azura catches me.

"My liege!" Kaze dashes to the lake, and I can see him eyeing me with a strange interest.

"Princess Corrin!" Ignis arrives, faster than Kaze, and dives straight for the lake, supporting my other side. I… I shouldn't have held out as long as I did. The pain was there, my Dragon was protesting it, but I kept going… at least, at least the Azurite was made. At least Azura didn't collapse. At least… wait. I look at the lake's surface, and maybe it's just me being seconds away from collapsing, but… no. This has to be me nearing passing out. Except that, Azura described them as… could I be developing it? The 'physical aspects' of being a Manakete?

Pointed eartips? Regardless, by the time I register that I might now suddenly have those, my consciousness fades out. 'So, tired…'

A/N: Ah-ha! So, Yasei finally is getting her first set of canon looks! I hope y'all haven't forgotten that she started off without the pointed ears and red-colored/slitted eyes! But, now she's got the pointed ears, and the Dragonstone is but an attunement away! Whaddya think of the ritual for it? Better than Azura pulling it out of her back pocket? But, hold on...

Azura and Corrin outright said the 'V' word! Yet, they're still alive?