Two updates in one day? Damn I'm good. Hey everyone, it's been a while for sure! Before you go asking where I've been and threatening to kill me for taking so long to update, let me explain. It's been a busy and hectic year for sure. I was in a toxic relationship for sure, and that really affected me when I wanted to write. On top of that, I joined the army, so I haven't had all the time in the world. But I'm free from that relationship, and my schedule is more even now, so I'll have a lot more time to write now, so you can expect updates rather soon! But I won't keep you waiting anymore, welcome back to "Nothing is left to Fate"!

Truth and Consequences

Corrin wasn't sure how much time had passed. Minutes had turned into hours, hours had felt like days. It seemed like an eternity had passed since his recap of the tragedy that took place the day his mother died. However, he hadn't disclosed the final few details of what took place that day, and how his life changed in more ways than one from that day forward. Corrin bit his lip nervously, practically gnawing on the the sensitive flesh, as he paced back and forth in his room in front of his siblings. While most of them waited patiently, others could not. Elise's boundless energy was slowly seeping out of her calm facade, while Leo was impatiently tapping his foot on the ground with his arms crossed. Only Camilla and Xander seemed to have a grasp of the severity of what Corrin was about to tell them.

"Corrin, what exactly are we waiting for? I understand that this must be a delicate subject for you, but I for one do have important things to do." Leo remarked. Corrin sighed in exasperation.

"Now, now Leo, I'm sure whatever our dear brother has to tell us will certainly be worth the wait." Camilla lightly scolded. Corrin sent a small smile towards his older adopted sister, who sent a bright smile back at him.

"I don't doubt the importance of this sister, I just don't understand why we're just sitting here in complete silence." the Dark Knight snapped. Corrin's eyes shot to the ground.

"We're waiting on someone very important. Elise, you brought what I asked for, right?" Corrin inquired. Elise quickly flashed the loaf of bread she grabbed from the kitchen.

"Of course Corrin! Snatching this from the chef's was easy as pie!" Elise cheered.

"Don't you mean, easy as bread?" Camilla said with a small chuckle.

"Honestly sister, your jokes need more work…" Xander remarked. Camilla honestly seemed hurt by this.

"What do you mean? My jokes happened to be hilarious, right Corrin?" Nohr's oldest princess pleaded. Though, Corrin wasn't paying much attention the the squabbling of his siblings. His crimson eyes were eying the clock in his room with worry and detachment. He couldn't shake the feeling that his family would look at him differently after this. The raging dragon that slept within his soul was constantly roaring, slamming against the cages that the Dragon Stone had set up. Even now, he could hear it…

"Corrin?" the young prince heard a voice calling out to him, which snapped him out of his thoughts. The half-breed looked to see his youngest sister staring at him, her violet eyes full of concern. Shaking his head of his intruding thoughts, he mustered up the best smile for Elise.

"What is it little one?" he asked. The rest of the Nohrian royal family looked at him with their eyes full of concern.

"We've been calling you for several minutes now brother. Are you okay?" Elise asked. Corrin's eyes widened by a fraction, as he honestly hadn't heard a single word they had apparently said to him.

"Oh...what did you all need?" he asked timidly.

"We were all wondering when you were gonna show us...whatever it is you needed to show us. We don't have all day you know." Leo commented dryly, which earned him a smack to the back of his head from Nohr's oldest princess. When the Dark Knight went to retort, Camilla shot him a glare that silenced any comment that was about to leave his mouth. As she went to scold her impatient brother, Elise let out what sounded like a scream. Xander, Camilla, and Leo all looked over to their youngest sibling to see what was the matter.

"Elise, darling, what's the matter?" Camilla inquired, worried about her sister. Elise however, had the biggest smile plastered all over her face as she ran past her siblings to what appeared to be...a fish floating on a crystal ball?

"It's...it's….SO CUTE!" the troubadour exclaimed, as she grabbed the strange creature and hugged it with all of her might. The poor creature looked as though it could barely breathe, and struggled desperately to free itself from Elise's crushing grip.

"Princess Elise, while I've missed you so, I'd greatly appreciate my spine remaining in one piece…" the small creature choked out. Upon hearing her name, Elise let go of the small fish like creature and looked at it skeptically.

"How do you know my name?" Elise asked worriedly. Her siblings were all wondering the very same thing, as none of them had ever seen the odd creature that floated before them.

"Oh, I'm very familiar with all of you. After all, I served you all for years, isn't that right Lord Corrin?" the strange creature inquired in an almost sing-song like voice. The silver haired prince could only laugh at his former maid's antics.

"Yes Lilith, you've been apart of the family for many years indeed. Ever since I was just a child, correct?" Corrin asked, though he already knew the answer. The small dragon chirped in the affirmative, and seemed to bounce upon the air she floated on as if it were as solid as the ground that the royal family stood upon. Speaking of the royal family, there were certainly flabbergasted.

"Corrin, did you just address this small creature as 'Lilith'?" the crowned prince had asked. Corrin shook nodded his head with a nervous smile.

"The same Lilith who has served as your maid, and taken care of you since you were just a child?" Leo had inquired.

"The very same." Corrin replied, and then turned to his little sister. "Elise, may I see that bread you have? I need it for Lilith." Elise just numbly nodded her head, her young mind trying to process the information that was just thrust upon all of them. Corrin graciously took the bread and offered his sister a small smile, patting her head gently. Corrin then turned and offered the bread to his former maid.

"I know it'll be difficult to take so many people to the Astral Plane all at once, but please, try your best Lilith. It's of the utmost importance." the half-breed prince pleaded. Lilith's amber eyes bore into his crimson orbs and she understood the gravity of what he asked, and she could tell how important this was too him.

"Understood, Lord Corrin. I'll start preparing immediately." the small dragon replied earnestly. Corrin turned to his family, who all stared at him with confused expressions adorning each of their faces.

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but please understand. I can't risk showing you here. It's too dangerous." Corrin explained. Nohr's oldest princess was the first to reply.

"I trust you Corrin. Whatever it is that you need to show us, just know that I'll support you no matter what." Camilla stated. Corrin just smiled warmly at her, but the uncertainty in his heart was on full display due to his eyes. Nohr's oldest son realized this, and took his turn to step forward.

"The same goes for me Corrin. No matter what, you will always be part of this family, and you will always have my love and support." Xander swore. Elise affirmed this by running forward and hugging Corrin's midsection (as that was all she could really reach) as tightly as she could before looking up to her adoptive brother.

"Yeah, same here Corrin! You're part of the family, now and always!" Elise chirped. Corrin felt tears well up in his eyes, but what finally pushed him over the edge was Nohr's youngest prince placing his hand on Corrin's shoulder and reaffirming his belief in his brother.

"Though we may not be bound like blood like you and the Hoshidan Royals, you are truly my brother through and through." Leo swore. Corrin could feel the tears rolling down his face, and the sobs began to rock his body. The affection his family was showing him, even after he found out the truth about how he came to Nohr was beyond anything he could take. He felt a hand on his other shoulder, and looked to see his older brother standing next to him.

"What binds us together is stronger than blood little prince. Never forget that." Xander said simply, but the meaning behind his words was stronger than almost anything that Corrin had ever heard before. Lastly, he felt the familiar plushness of Camilla at his back, with her arms circling around his chest in a tight embrace.

"You mean more to us than you know darling. You mean more to me than you will ever know…" she trailed off. From the sound of her voice, it sounded like she was about to cry, but Corrin couldn't turn around to check. Instead, he could only reply with two words.

"Thank you.." he managed to choke out between sobs. Lilith, who had been ready for several minutes, just didn't have it in her to break up the beautiful moment happening before her.

'Maybe one day, I'll be able to have that too…' she thought to herself longingly. It was then that she had felt a flux in the portal that was supposed to bring her and the Nohrian royal family to the Outrealm.

"Corrin, if I we don't go now, I can't guarantee everyone's safe passage to the Astral Plane. We must leave immediately." the small dragon warned. Corrin heard her, but didn't acknowledge right away.

'I really do have the best family in the world...I don't know what I would do without them..' he thought privately to himself. He turned his head to Lilith and gave her a nod, signaling her to begin. The small dragon nodded and gave him a smile, then closed her eyes as she began to concentrate. The room around them began to blur, as if it were an image reflected upon distorted water. The bed, table, and walls around the family began to shimmer out of sight, and instead, a lush, green field surrounded by castle walls began to replace them.

The field held several sakura trees, and at the apex of the field, was a Nohrian style castle. The Nohrian family, who had their eyes closed due to the blinding flash of light, opened their eyes and were astounded by the sight that stretched out before them. Such views were not a common sight within Nohr's boundaries, and could only truly be seen within Hoshido's border. The crowned prince of Nohr was the first to speak.

"Corrin, what is this place? I've never seen anything quite like this before." Xander inquired. Corrin scratched his head nervously.

"Well...we're in the Astral Plane." the silver haired prince answered simply. Leo, being that the genius yet skeptic that he was, was the first to reply to Corrin's claim.

"You mean one of the many world's that are separate from our own? Since when have you been able to access this place Corrin?" Leo questioned. Thinking back on it, Corrin's first visit here wasn't exactly a fond one. Hans nearly killed him back then, and falling to his death certainly wasn't something that Corrin liked to remember.

"Back when Father first sent me to the border at the Bottomless Canyon, we had encountered resistance from nearby Hoshidan troops. While I had wanted to withdraw to avoid conflict, Hans had charged straight in and started killing several of Hoshido's soldiers." Corrin stated bitterly, with his family listening intently.

"With no other choice, Felicia, Gunther and I had entered the battle. While we had won the skirmish with relative ease, Hans quickly turned on Gunther and I, pushing us both into the Bottomless Canyon." he continued, with the others stunned at this confession. Camilla and Xander filled to the brim with rage, while Elise had tears forming in her eyes as she realized how close Corrin was to death that day. However, the Dark Knight asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"Wait a minute. If you fell into the Bottomless Canyon, then how are you still here?" Leo asked, genuinely confused. With this, Lilith had jumped in front of the family, a smile present on her small face.

"That's where I come in! I gave up my human form so that I could rescue Lord Corrin. Using the same power that I used to bring you all here, I brought him here so that I might save his life. It would seem that this realm in particular reacts to Lord Corrin's power in a strange way, which is why it has taken the form that you all see before you." the small dragon explained. The royal family had trouble processing everything that they had been told. Truthfully, it was certainly a lot to take in. Corrin and Lilith waited patiently as the others processed all this information. Several minutes had passed when suddenly, Camilla ran up to the both of them and glomped both of them.

"Oh Corrin, you're never leaving my side ever again! It's much too dangerous out there without me to protect you!" she exclaimed dramatically, practically crushing Corrin and Lilith in the process.

"And you Lilith! Thank you so much for saving my darling Corrin for me! I am in your debt!" the violet haired princess cried out. Unfortunately for the two within her grasp, they were having trouble breathing, and couldn't quite find a way to tell Camilla that without her getting upset. Luckily, Xander came to the rescue.

"Alright sister, I think that's enough of that. But truthfully, Lilith, we are in your debt. If there is ever anything that you need, please do not hesitate to ask." Xander offered. Reluctantly, Camilla had released the two within her embrace with a pout on her face, while both Corrin and Lilith had taken a deep breath of fresh air in an attempt to compensate the air they were not receiving while in Camilla's grasp. However, Elise gave Corrin no time to rest.

"Big brother! I can't ever lose you, okay? Don't you ever go off without me again, you got it!?" she threatened, and Corrin couldn't help but chuckle at his little sister's attempt to intimidating.

"Of course Elise, you have my word on it. I wouldn't ever dream of leaving you behind." he said to her. Elise just nodded her head with a triumphant smile on her face. Leo however, got straight to the point of why they were there in the first place.

"So Corrin, why did you need to bring us here in the first place? What's so important that we needed to come here?" Leo inquired, and as a result, Corrin's face fell immediately. This was the moment that he was dreading so. He didn't answer at first, and instead, pulled out the blue stone that was around his neck, and held it in his hands for all to see.

"Corrin, what is that stone you have there?" Xander had asked. Corrin looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath.

'Well...here goes nothing…' he thought to himself. Looking back at his family, he steeled his resolve.

"This is a Dragonstone. It helps me keep my powers in check." he started to explain. However, Xander raised his eyebrows.

"Powers? What powers?" he asked warily. Corrin once again sighed, but didn't say anything. Instead, he gripped the stone in his hands and concentrated. The others present were confused at first, but once they saw the stone start to shine a brilliant blue, they knew that their questions would soon be answered.

The stone had begun to vibrate rapidly, and the light emitting from the stone was getting brighter with each passing second. Corrin could feel the beast inside begin to thrash around in anger.

'No! I'm in control here. You will listen to me!' Corrin had ordered it. With one last pulse of light, a brilliant flash had overtaken the royal family's vision, causing them to shield their eyes. Once the light has subsided, they had all opened their eyes, expecting to see Corrin standing before them, but instead, was something beyond their imagining. Before them, in Corrin's place, stood a large, gray beast, that stood on four, skinny legs, two of which seemed like blades. A large tail seemed to wag in back of it, with an impressive set of wings moving ever so slightly. Though the beast had no eyes on its dark blue face, the family could tell that it was eying them, as if it were waiting for something.

"I...don't understand, what is this?" Xander had asked.

"It looks so...so scary…" Elise whimpered, hiding behind Leo, who just eyed the creature warily.

"What...what is this beast? And where is Corrin?" Leo wondered aloud. The beast seemed to flinch at their words, and took a step back. It's head lowered, as if it were sad. Camilla just studied it with stern eyes. The beast seemed to look at her specifically, before turning its head away in what appeared to be shame. It was then that Camilla's violet eyes widened in surprise before they softened. She took a step forward towards the strange creature.

"Camilla stop! We don't know what that thing is!" Leo had warned. However, she didn't seem to hear him as she continued forward. She extended her arm in an attempt to touch the beast in front of her, but he seemed almost frightened of her.

"Shhh...it's okay, I won't hurt you." she said soothingly. The beast seemed to understand her, and slowly craned its long neck forward so that its head could meet her hand. Once her hand was upon the great beast's head, she began to pet it lovingly, and the beast responded by seemingly nuzzling into her hand.

"Corrin...that is you in there, isn't it?" Camilla asked the creature. The others didn't know what to say to Camilla's question. At first, there was no indication that the beast had even heard her, but then something had happened that blew them all away.

"Yes sister. It's me in here." the beast responded using Corrin's voice. With the exception of Camilla, the rest of them were floored.

"How is this possible? Corrin, just happened to you in Hoshido?" Leo questioned his transformed brother. Corrin's head bowed down in a mixture of shame and sadness, only for it to be picked back up by Camilla.

"It's okay Corrin, we're here." she said encouragingly. The transformed prince nuzzled into her hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Camilla, causing her to giggle and smile warmly. Corrin then took one step back and seemed to take a crouching position. After a moment, there was an explosion of blue flames around him, and his form seemed to shrink within the azure blaze. After the flames subsided, his family and familiar could be see him on his knees, visibly drained from his transformation, as he was panting and noticably paler than usual.

"Are you alright Corrin?" Elise asked timidly. Corrin gave his little sister a tired smile, nodding at her.

"I'm alright little one, I just need a moment to catch my breath. Doing that takes a lot out of me. I'm not quite used to it yet." Corrin explained. Leo and Xander both raised an eyebrow at him in response to his statement.

"And just what is that Corrin? You've never been able to do that before." Leo inquired.

"It is certainly worrying indeed brother. We all house the blood of the royal family within us. The power of the First Dragon's is strong with us, but we can do nothing like that." Xander said. Corrin took one last deep breath before standing up straight, his breathing more even and natural now.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what it is. When I saw my mother die in front of me, I was overcome by so many emotions. Grief, sorrow, rage...so many things were running through my head. But then I heard it." the silver haired prince explained. Leo looked at him strangely.

"What did you hear Corrin?" the Dark Knight asked. Corrin's eyes narrowed a bit.

"I heard...a beast roaring out in anger and pain. I felt a pain in my chest spread throughout my whole body, and my vision went blank. I...don't really remember what happened too well, but I apparently attacked the one who murdered my mother, and even lashed out at some of my Hoshidan siblings before transforming back." Corrin explained solemnly. He then took out a small, glowing blue stone that he kept as a necklace around his neck.

"This is what they called a Dragonstone. It lets me harness the power of that beast and control it at will. But...I still feel it in there. It's strong and I'm not as in control of the power as I would like to be." he elaborated further. Leo, ever the curious and intellectual being he was, walked up to Corrin and held the Dragonstone in his hand, looking it with a look full of wonderment.

"I can certainly feel strong magics at work within this stone. Whoever made this has obviously made one before. Perhaps we may find more out there?" he wondered aloud. However, the thought disturbed Corrin. If there were more people out there with power like him, then how did they manage to control their power without losing their sanity? Everytime he accessed the power of the dragon within him, he could feel the beast thrashing against him, refusing to be subjugated to his will. It took the utmost concentration for him to access that form, and doing so took a great toll on his stamina.

"So this is what you were so afraid to tell us?" Xander asked, however, it was more of a statement than a question. Corrin nodded silently in the affirmative, not knowing what to say.

"I see...well I don't understand why you were so afraid." Nohr's crown prince stated. Corrin looked up in surprise at his older brother, truly at a loss for words.

"Indeed, this was a most unexpected outcome, but you are still my brother, no matter what form you take." Xander explained, his kind words warming Corrin's heart. Tears threatened to spill the young orphan's eyes, as he wasn't expecting this at all. However, Xander wasn't the only one to speak his mind.

"Truly, you must have the devil's own luck. To have such a transformation available to could introduce countless new battle strategies. Make wise use of this power Corrin. With your upcoming mission, it could prove to be quite the life saver." Leo advised. Corrin smiled at this brother.

"Of course Leo. I'll make sure to use this power to the best of my ability in the trials to come, you can be sure of that." Corrin swore. Leo smiled in return, offering him a nod of approval. Corrin was going to make sure that Elise was alright, but he suddenly found himself on the ground with a mop of blonde hair obstructing his vision. He couldn't help but chuckle. While a gentle soul at heart, Elise certainly had an aggressive way of showing how much she cared.

"Don't scare me like that ever again, okay?" was all Elise could say. The pangs of guilt pulled at Corrin's heart, but he hugged his sister back, before speaking.

"I won't. I promise you Elise." he swore. The older siblings of the two smiled at the genuine bond they shared. These two were truly the Light that made living in the dark kingdom of Nohr truly worth all the hardship they faced. After a few minutes of them laying on the soft ground beneath them, the two finally got up, and Corrin faced his older sister, the one who he was worried about most of all throughout this whole ordeal. The violet haired princess walked up to Corrin, the look in her eyes unreadable to Corrin, which troubled him greatly.

"You know, you scared us all quite a bit." she started out, her voice having a slight edge to it, making Corrin flinch both out of her words, and the stern gaze she held him under. However, despite this, he faced her, not wavering.

"I know. I'm sorry Camilla. Words could never express how sorry I am." he spoke to her softly, trying his best to convey his feelings. She looked at him again for a moment.

"My dear Corrin...when we were out there on the battlefield the day you made your choice to join us rather than Hoshido, I knew that there was something different about you. Your words were heavier, and the way you spoke that day spoke volumes of what you had undergone. I thought I could protect you from the cruelties of this world, just like I could protect you from your nightmares when you were younger. But…" she faltered, her eyes threatening to spill over tears she had been trying so hard to hold back.

"Camilla, I.." Corrin tried to say, but she raised her hand, gesturing him to stop after she composed herself.

"I know Corrin. You and that power of yours will accomplish great things. You will always be my adorable little brother. You've really grown so much. I just hope you'll let me watch over you, and protect you just a little while longer." she said almost longingly. Corrin could only nod.

"I wouldn't have it any way sister. You mean the world to me." Corrin said with a smile. Camilla couldn't take it anymore. She closed the distance between them and trapped him within a tight embrace, giving him no room wiggle out. Normally, Corrin would object to her seemingly squeezing the life out of him, but he understood that she needed this and allowed it to happen, as he soon heard quite sobs escaping his sister's voice. He could only hug her back and try his best to calm her down, as did the rest of the Nohrian royal family. Before Corrin knew it, he was surrounded in a group hug, much to Leo's objection, as they all knew that it had been a stressful time, and while not everyone wanted to admit it, they needed this. Lilith could only stare on, with a small smile gracing her small face.

'You truly have no idea how lucky you are, Master Corrin. I only wish you knew the truth…'

This is probably the longest chapter I've written, and I'm feeling pretty damn proud of it. Let me know what you all think, because I love hearing about it! Tell me what you loved, hated, and what you think I could do better! I really wanted to turn up the drama for this chapter. Next chapter starts our grand adventure, so please stay tuned. Until next time! Have a great night everyone!