Leave it to Intelligent Systems to push a pairing so hard that it is so blatantly canon in the context of story and flavor, rabid tumblr shippers be damned-The unique supports and confessions for each route, the in-your-face story prominence, the neutral route ending, the unused files in-game found for even more unique supports between Kana and Azura as her mother, how literally almost every chapter in the game begins with the two of them conversing.

But I digress, I'm rambling and you came here for Fates fluff after spoiling yourself to the game's story, its entire datamine, and the numerous streams (And if you perchance didn't, I suggest you close out of this tab, like, now). The ship has sailed as of two twenty-six AM today.. and I am your sleep-deprived captain. This a warm-up exercise for what's to come later.

Timeframe: This piece in particular is derived from the two's heavy Nohr supports.

PS: Pfft, like those Revelation spoilers are going to stop me. Hardly.

Word Count: 1548 words.

What Lies Ahead

No matter what he does, the images always come back to haunt him. If it isn't one thing, it's another, there's always something lingering in the back of his subconscious, damning him for his irreversible choices.

Corrin hasn't sought proper rest for days, and tonight isn't showing any promise. Any effort to close his eyes is scotched by what manifests on the other end. Be it men on the brink of death, cursing the Nohrian prince with every fiber in their being, entire towns engulfed in flames, or families torn apart by the havoc, unable to recover.

Family.

'Mother..'

He can never bring himself to get over it, the most crushing casualty of them all, and he has no one to blame but himself.

Corrin surrenders to the guilt with a hollow conscience, hands gripping at his sheets. Rest isn't going to come, and no amount of twisting and turning is going to change that.

"They said it wasn't my fault," he mutters, already out of bed and halfway across the tent.

Poking his head out the tent flap, the man is met with a largely empty campground. Not that he expects anything lively well past midnight, it makes sense, and it's in his best interests that nobody see him like this any way, least of all Elise or Camilla.

'How is it that I can't accept that?'

Lost in his thoughts, the prince wanders away from the camp with the hopes that a walk will clear his mind. The scene reminds himself of his childhood friend, Silas, who often jumps at the chance to drag him out like this, in the past any way. As far as he recalls, those midnight escapades are some of the better memories of his childhood. That and the 'book club' he has with Jakob and Felicia.

Contrary to popular belief, Jakob's literature preferences are lewder than one would expect.

A smile graces his face as he finds himself stopping by a stream. In hindsight, his life then seems like a dream, certainly much better than it is now.

With thoughts of the home he left behind persisting, he fixes his eyes on the water's edge.

"Corrin."

"H-Huh?" Corrin stutters, snapping around in a heartbeat. "Who's there?!" he calls out of instinct. "Show yourself!"

"Behind you."

"Wha?" he spins on his heel again, only to come face to face with two bright yellow eyes. "A-Aah!... A-Azura..?"

Corrin hits the earth with a thud, the dancer in question peers over him, sly traces of a smirk on her face.

"Having more nightmares, Corrin ? Fufu.."

He frowns at her for a second, but it fades as she offers him a hand. She always has that effect on him, ever since their first encounter, and its significance grows each time they speak.

Corrin shifts his gaze aside. "You could say that," he begins, slightly shamefaced. "It.. It's nothing though, I'm already well over it."

"... I see." she notes, returning to her regularly aloof demeanor. "So what reason would you have for being out here so late in the night, if not that?"

"I could ask you the same."

"Yes, you very well could." Azura boldly admits with shut eyes. "However."

Her eyes snap open, the end of her Blessed Lance stomps on the ground, and Corrin promptly shudders.

"I'm on night watch, as was decided during tonight's council. You would know this, seeing as you were present and if memory serves, supported the idea."

"Okay okay," Corrin sighs with defeat, caught under scrutiny and his own underestimation. "I guess I am feeling somewhat troubled, I'll head back to my tent if that's what you'd lik-"

"Sit."

"Huh?"

"Sit." Azura firmly repeats, gesture and all, now on the ground with her lance at her side. "Evidently we still have more to discuss if you feel it necessary to hide things from me, and yourself."

Corrin hesitates, if only for a moment, but ultimately joins her. The next few moments are quiet before Azura breaks the silence.

"You swore that you wouldn't waver any longer, and that even if it should come to that, I'd be there to push you back. When you made that promise, did you mean it?"

He turns to her, slightly perplexed, but somehow within solace all the same, "Of course I did. It'd be wrong of me to imply otherwise."

"And you would be right to think that," she reassures, her fingertips lightly brushing against the water's surface. "I have a peeve of being lied to, among other things."

"Other things?"

The dancer brings a hand to her face, reliving a few less than pleasurable memories. She shivers and lowers her tone to a whisper.

"I'm not exactly fond of frogs."

"Oh..?"

'That came out of nowhere..' he muses to himself.

"Yes, their perpetual slime is... unpleasant. B-But enough of that," she abruptly stammers, seeking to distance herself from any talk of amphibians. "I meant every word as well. In times where you find yourself weak and unable to act, I'll always be there to support you. And I won't shy away from lending an ear when you need it, please remember that, if you will."

"In that case.." Corrin sighs, causing her to perk up, "The dreams I'm having.. They started out small, never lasting long, and didn't have any type of effect on me, until that night.."

A pause.

"The night I stepped into your tent and discovered you in a panic.." Azura finishes what he could not, and continues. "They gained prominence then?"

"Yeah, and they only got worse when we confronted my assassins nights later." Corrin adds, remembering the harsh words both ninjas said to him then. Their skewed perceptions of justice brought them to their graves, and he's the one that lead them to it. "Ever since then, I see the same thing every night.. The Hoshidans I've killed appear to me, announce their grudges, and then rush in to attack. Day in and day out."

"Fufu.. Isn't it a bit odd to wage war on your birth family and not be prepared for these kind of things?"

Sensing hypocrisy, he snaps in her direction.

"I don't know, isn't it a bit odd to abandon your caretakers in pursuit of someone you've only known for a few days?"

Azura coughs and averts her eyes, slice of humble pie in hand.

"Ah.. I suppose you make a valid point."

"That said, I understand that I can't change my mind now." he continues, allowing her to save some face. "My choice has been made, and I'll continue to walk down that path."

"Yes, it hurts to come to terms with it, but there's not much that can be done but move forward. To dwell on the life of every Hoshidan soldier you take will only cause us to fall apart." she explains, a closed fist at her chest. "Your soul may be pained by the blood of enemy corpses, but you won't be bearing that burden alone, and should you happen to forget that- I'll be here to remind you."

There's really no better way for her to say it, the prince's entire essence is far from being at peace, leave it to a songstress to get him to realize that. His soul, the very embodiment of his being, is constantly lost in a swarming sea of weakness, uncertainty, and lack of self-worth, ever since the day of that fatal decision.

And the only solution to it all is press onward, persevere in spite of that aching essence, and deal with the responsibilities that come with tackling the fundamentals of war.

In short, the path of the Nohr is a one-way highway.

Corrin gets back on his feet with a better understanding of that reality, thanks in no small part to the lancer dancer. "Thank you, Azura. For everything, actually. I was weak for a moment there, and to be honest, I still kind of am. If there's an alternative path I can take, one that allows us to get out of this situation without losing any more lives, I'll accept it in a heartbeat. Until then, I'd like to think that as long as I- no, we stick together, we'll find that road someday."

"Hm.. While I cannot guarantee that such a road exists," Azura begins, her tone a bit hopeful in spite of her realism. "I.. don't dislike the idea of us searching for it together. Y-Yes, I'd like that."

"Then it's settled," he declares with a smile. "From now on Azura, let's tread this path of pain together, no matter where the destination takes us. I've got your back, and you've got mine. And as long as we stick to that principle, not even hell itself can stand in our way."

His words inspire a smile of her own, one more sincere than her prior smirk. "And in doing so, perhaps we'll achieve happiness in this world. I'd like to believe in that possibility, now that you're here to help make it happen."

Their new link is sealed by the hand he offers to her. She accepts and as he pulls her up, their gazes linger on each other, with the luminous night as their only witness.

Let's tie our promise into a new bond.