Title: Your Hands Brought the Morrow

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of the plot, characters or setting depicted in this fanfic from FE Fates. Please credit me for the fanfic and nothing else.

Author's Note: Oh dear. It's been quite a while. Too long. I'm so sorry. I've still be writing and uploading Jokamu content for people on Tumblr and Discord, and my content has fallen onto the backburner. Mainly because AO3 is thriving and the idea of exporting everything to another site makes me…queasy.

If you guys are craving more, please visit my Tumblr page: romeo-and-antoinette

Thank you to user "and-i-will-always-love-him" for helping inspire me to return to this fic.

Anyway, please enjoy this belated update!

-START-

The Bottomless Canyon was a terrifying place. The ground was dry as dust and cracked beneath Corrin's bare feet as she stole closer to the otherworldly crevice. She was followed by Gunter, Jakob and Hans. The mismatched party crept along on foot while Gunter's horse maintained a steady stride. The soil beneath them was loose and airy enough to silence even the horse's metal-clad hooves.

Gunter seemed even more of-put by the strange location than she was. His steel eyes kept shifting about as if he was searching for something nobody else could see.

"The sky here is always dark and foreboding, and lighting strikes all those who fly across," he said darkly. "Milady, this is clearly a place mortals were never intended to enter. Normally we'd go around, but the Fort King Garon wants us to survey is here."

He pointed across the chasm to a dark and seemingly vacant building.

Despite the gnawing feeling in her gut, Corrin tried to maintain her optimism.

"It's not so bad!" she said with a light laugh. "Maybe I'm just happy for the fresh air. I mean, compared to being inside the fortress, this is really exciting!"

She didn't realize how forced her words sounded until they left her mouth. She heard Hans laugh gutturally at her naïve sentiments and felt some heat rise to her cheeks.

Gunter, on the other hand, managed a smile.

"That's certainly an interesting perspective," he complimented. It seems that her words had lifted sat least some of the lead-like gloom surrounding their party. "Let us proceed, then."

In addition to the almost supernatural stillness, the quiet was intensely disorienting. Had Corrin not been surrounded by comrades all advancing in one direction, it would have been all too plausible to become lost in the darkness. The woman could only imagine how the many soldiers had failed to return to the canyon had expired by wandering into the darkness only to plummet to their deaths.

"Gods, what a cruel fate," she thought as she caught sight of the cliff's jagged edge under the moonlight. Her eyes narrowed as the sensation of dread surrounded her as densely as the canyon's ashy fog.

Something didn't feel right.

"We have to be careful," Corrin warned her allies. "Stay close."

Gunter and Jakob agreed with silent nods while Hans seems distracted by a sight on the other side of one of the decrepit bridges. Corrin was about to call for his attention when she spotted the glitter of a blade in the distance. The startling shine came from near one of the surrounding structures.

Corrin followed the light with a flick of her head.

Lurking behind a half-fallen house were the distinct silhouettes of Hoshidan soldiers.

Corrin shifted her gaze across the bridge where Hans had previously been staring. Sure enough, there were more figures dressed in shades of red and white watching cautiously from across the way. One warrior brandishing a sword was approaching from one of the bridges. However, their stance was more defensive than offensive.

Jakob's gaze calmly shifted to meet Gunter's. "I thought this only supposed to be an investigation."

"Blast, that's what we were told!" Gunter said, voice rising a few octaves. "I anticipated perhaps a few soldiers or squatters, but this area is filled with Hoshidan troops!"

From across the chasm, a figure emerged from the darkness and spoke with a commanding tone. Unbeknownst to them, his name was Omozu.

"Not another step," he ordered. "Crossing this bridge is a violation of our border treaty, Nohrians. Turn back at once, or we'll be forced to attack!"

Jakob turned to meet Corrin's gaze steadily. Despite the discovery that they seemed to have been left astray, his tone was even and composed like usually. "What shall he do, Lady Corrin?"

She didn't waste a beat remembering her father's orders. "Well, we were ordered not to fight. This fort is clearly occupied, and we have no reason to violate the treaty. We should return and report to Father."

"A wise decision," Gunter remarked with a pleased expression.

As they went to turn around, the group was stilled by a grumbled remark from Hans.

"Who the hell asked you, old man?"

Corrin and Jakob both stopped immediately. They cast knowing looks at each other, seeing the evident dread and realization reflected clearly in each other's gaze. As if anticipating what was about to happen, Corrin reached for her blade.

"What?" Gunter inquired loudly.

A barbaric scream pierced the chilled air. By the time Corrin could register that the disgusting howl had come from Hans, he has already sprinted across the bridge. He raised a thickly corded arm and swiped his axe through one of the approaching soldiers' torso. The blade practically cleaved the man in half and shattered his armor in the process. As the footman flew back in a haze of blood and screams, the other units sounded offer and started toward the small group.

Jakob and Gunter immediately surrounded their liege. The shine of their weapons and the unwavering determination was clear. They were down one party member. It was time to compensate.

Meanwhile, Corrin's rage became unhinged. The sight was enough to disturb her barely composed nerves.

"Hans!" Corrin screamed, her voice booming despite it shakiness. "We were ordered not to engage!"

With that one act of brutality, everything spiraled out of the princess's control.

A battle began to ensue as they were ambushed on all sides. Thankfully, Gunter's expertise and Jakob's ranged attacks were enough to safeguard Corrin she scanned the battlefield for any openings or advantages, just like Xander had taught her.

Corrin tried to focus, but something odd kept impeding her concentration.

The longer she stood still, she realized the mysterious sensation from earlier hadn't faded. In fact, the subtle vibrations had only gotten stronger and more rhythmic. Each tremor felt as if it was coming from underground. The princess also noticed that nobody else around her seemed to notice the uncanny sensation as they continued to engage in combat without hindrance.

She looked toward another platform a few feet away, separated by an inky chasm and another unstable bridge, the sensation she felt in her chest began to intensify more.

Following an unnamed instinct, she bolted across one of the canyon's rickety bridges. Every step sent splinters of wood soaring around her ankles.

She barely managed to jump to safety and claw her way to solid ground as she felt the vibrating energy grow stronger. She followed the waves until she felt the central source of power throb beneath the surface. She realized with astute quickness what the sensation was.

It felt like a Dragon Vein.

The princess summoned all her energy and focused on activating the seal with frantic hurriedness. After a few moments of insistence, the magic activated.

The land began to glow with light and shift around Corrin. Trying her best to maintain focus despite the panic, she sank her fingers into the ground and shut her eyes to force calmness as the land around her precariously shifted. With a deafening crash, the unsteady ground cracked around her to create a bridge that spanned the widest part of the chasm to create a shortcut to the other side of the canyon.

The Hoshidan troops reeled in surprise at the otherworldly sight.

"Did you see that?" one yelled loudly.

"What the hell are we dealing with?" another screamed in obvious terror.

Gunter and Jakob used the chaotic response as an opportunity to chase after their liege.

As they drew closer, Corrin immediately noticed Jakob's body was already decorated with cuts. One of the sleeves of his uniform was sliced to ribbons and a splatter of crimson blood decorated the cuff.

"Oh Gods, Jakob, are you—?"

"Lady Corrin, what are your orders?" Gunter interrupted, eyes like flint as he spied soldiers advancing across one of the in-tact bridges. As she looked up at the knight, she could also see that his armor was broken and chipped from bone-crushing attacks.

There was no time to mourn their injuries. All that mattered was that her allies were alive and still standing. Now, she had to act as a commander and see her allies to safety. Then she could give them the medical attention they needed.

"Everyone, across the bridge, now!" she commanded firmly, pointing her blade toward their destination. They were to make a beeline for the Hoshidan commander. Someone had to oversee the troop. The only building they hadn't checked was behind the bridge she'd created with the Dragon Vein, lurking near the inky blackness of the nearby woods.

Once they non-fatally disposed of the leader, they could leave without further causality.

"What of Hans, milady?" Gunter asked, although his tone wasn't indicative of a question. The veteran knight already seemed to know her answer and posed the question strictly out of protocol.

Gunter's inquiry was punctuated by a garish howl that echoed across the chasm. The horrible sound was followed by a maniacal laugh that chilled the princess's spine. Corrin risked a glance back and saw Hans laying defeated on the ground. His body was white and lumpy as an abandoned sculpture cast. He was sprawled before Hoshidan troops in ugly defeat, but his ugly smile looked disgustingly victorious.

She saw him mouth at words, as if speaking to himself, but she didn't care enough to make an attempt to decipher them.

She bit her lip and looked away.

"Leave him!" her voice boomed.

That was the end of the discussion.

The trio crossed the bridge and urgently only to be surprised by another group of soldiers that moved in from the woods. Gunter reared his horse and readied his weapon, providing enough of a challenge to halt the soldiers in their place for a moment.

Corrin paired with Jakob to dash around the building and confront Omozu at the abandoned fort Gunter had initially pointed out when they arrived at the canyon.

As soon as the duo approached, Omozu remerged from the decrepit with two other archers flanking each side. Without thinking, Corrin lifted her blade at the sight of their weapons and assumes a guard position.

The semi-panicked act of hostility only served as kindling to the blaze of Omozu's fury.

"Do you even understand what you've done here today?" he screamed at Corrin. She noticeably bristled at the sound of his strident voice. "Hoshido will not stand for unprovoked attacks like this. Revenge will be ours!"

He spoke with conviction and dedication that Corrin had never heard before. The devotion in his voice was so absolute. She couldn't recall anyone in Nohr, even her own brother Xander, with such firm resolve.

The realization weighted her waist like a cinderblock against her side.

Doubt clouded her mind as Omozu slung a shuriken at her. The moment of self-doubt had offered the perfect window for an enemy to attack her.

Corrin barely had time to blink before a dagger, flying mere inches from her face, flashed before her eyes to deflect the deadly blow.

She looked over to see Jakob nearby. He wasn't watching her, but was instead focused on the enemies before the,

"Be careful," Jakob said to her. Following his advice, their opponents reached into their uniforms to brandish more weapons. As anticipated by the butler, they weren't done. The troops were readying for a follow-up attack.

The archers lifted their bows and began to dock their arrows with obvious confidence. Corrin nodded, Jakob's words steeling her confidence as one of the archers struck her with an attack.

This time, she properly guarded against the arrow by raising her blade. The stem slip on the edge of Ganglari and she was able to run forward and attack. She tried to aim nonfatally and focused her attacks on their arms and legs. Meanwhile, Jakob occasionally jumped in to defend her when he could as he evaded most of the archers' deadly blows.

When he was hit, she heard him let out a pained yell. The sound made her skin crawl.

She'd never heard Jakob make such a distressed sound before.

Her blood ran cold when she realized he was still injured from earlier. Any more injuries to him would likely be fatal.

Feeling newfound adrenaline course through her, she sprinted forward and used cut across Ozumo's body. The blade severed his sparse armor and left a gash across his chest that sent him flying back in a spray of red.

The warm fluid misted her face, and she hurriedly wiped the evidence with her dark cape.

She watched his body like a hawk as he laid defeated on the ground. The pair waited for any further movement from the leader. When Omozu failed to leap back onto his feet. Jakob opted to proceed and examine his body. He bent down to examine the man's face and take a pulse.

Wordlessly, he nodded to his liege and gestured to the abandoned fort. It seemed Omozu no longer posed a threat to them.

Corrin advanced to seize the fort. Just to be certain that their mission was successful, she looked around the building for any lingering soldiers or stowaways.

She merged from the structure to find that Gunter standing alongside Jakob. He had rejoined the duo following his defeat of the other soldiers that ha attempted to ambush them earlier. The princess noticed the new dents and scratches in his armor with immense discomfort. However, she found solitude in the sole fact that the disastrous mission seemed to finally be over.

"This wasn't what I had in mind, but at least we completed Father's mission," she said. Corrin was still trembling from the attack hard enough that even her brave expression did little to conceal her true apprehension.

"Indeed so," Gunter replied.

Jakob looked at his liege's expression. The forlorn look on her face was cause for concern for him. He pursed his lips in worry.

"Are you alright, my lady?" he inquired softly. Then, his expression lit up in sudden realization. "Oh, damnation! You probably need to be healed. Hold on."

As he rustled amidst his equipment for a proper healing staff, Gunter audibly scoffed at his lack of decorum.

While Jakob and Gunter bickered, the princess found herself lost in thoughts as she scanned the battlefield before them. the landscape was still sprinkled with the unconscious bodies of innocent Hoshidan soldiers. She had just led a mission that engaged an entire Hoshidan army unnecessarily and, as a result, ended in a series of unjust injuries. She knew some soldiers, especially the ones Hans had attacked, were almost certainly dead.

The princess felt peculiar. Even though her team had made it away from the battle alive, they had still injured and fatally wounded Hoshidan soldiers along the way.

Just as she was ready to turn around and face her wounded allies, she heard distinct rustling from the south. By the time she turned her eyes to the dark forest, three figures had already emerged silently from the brush. Their uniforms didn't look familiar, but appeared to be Hoshidan if the crimson aesthetic was anything to go by. Their armor and uniforms looked similar to the troops they'd just conquered.

The figure in the middle was a man with bright, crimson hair and a concealed face.

The sight made Corrin flinch, which earned a harsh chuckle from the strange man.

"You're the leader of this army?" he asked, his voice drawling in amusement. "Pah. You're just a little girl."

"Who are you?" she asked, gripping the handle of her blade. Her eyes strained to make out the figures in the dark, but she could tell from the man's voice that he couldn't be more than a few feet away from her.

"My name is Saizo," he said. The timbre of his voice hard-edged. Every word from his mouth was brief and spoken with conviction that left no room for conversation. "And I've come to claim your life."

The sound of brandished blades caused Corrin to immediately spring into action. She turned to her team and hollered that they were still under attack and needed to evade as soon as possible. As she glimpsed back at Gunter and Jakob, she could see how exhausted they both appeared. Not that she could blame them. She still felt the veins in her legs burning with pain from their earlier endeavors. Even the act of turning around to alert her team members sent jabs of pain up her limbs. The sensation was nearly paralyzing.

There was no way they could endure another battle.

Then, out of the darkness, another strident voice cut through the dark night.

"I won't allow it!" it ordered. The commanding sound sent a boom through the area. At least, it sent such a sensation throughout her own chest. This time, she recognized the tone almost instantly. It belonged to someone she knew all too well.

Xander's dark steed can rushing through the trees just as Saizo aimed a shuriken squarely for Corrin's heart. Guarding the attack with a simple feat for someone as skilled as Xander, but Corrin would have succumbed to the blow in her state of enhanced weakness. She could only drop to her knees in surprise upon seeing her brother's grand steed nearly trample her in an attempt to block the attack.

Saizo cursed, clearly surprised by the entrance of the crown prince.

Xander shot Corrin a hard look over his shoulder. He looked down his nose at her crumpled and injured body.

"What is going on here, Corrin?" he asked, his tone dripping with obvious displeasure.

"Xander?" she asked, her face still awash in disbelief. She averted his question by asking a reasonable one of her own. "How did you know we were in trouble?"

Xander's entrance was swiftly followed by the sound of horse hooves and flapping wings. Corrin didn't need to speculate on who the mysterious individuals could be for long.

Sure enough, her other three siblings were on Xander's heels as they rushed onto the battlefield with ease.

If they'd collided with enemies along the way, their appearances certainly didn't show it. They all looked pristine and perfectly healthy. The princess was beyond grateful for that.

"Your luck never seems to run out, does it?" Leo asked Corrin with a cocky grin.

Although she knew the gesture was supposed to be teasing, the words did nothing but stir bitterness in Corrin. While she was truly thankful for her siblings' arrival and their safety, she couldn't shake the bloody encounters she'd just been through with Jakob and Gunter at her side. She could still feel the distinct, metallic stickiness on her hands and thighs were her armor failed to conceal her.

"Are you alright, darling?" her big sister Camilla asked. "You poor thing. You must have been terrified."

"Don't worry!" Elise cheered from atop her tiny pony. She galloped over to their group and held her jeweled staff skyward. The wand pulsed with energy that sent a healing wave over Corrin's skin. When she looked down, she saw her wounds slowly mending in the moonlight and the blood evaporating from her skin like steam.

As soon as the healing glow faded, Elise gave Corrin a wink and said in her signature singsong, "We're here for you, big sister!"

A few paces away, Jakob and Gunter also recovered from their injuries thanks to the girl's quick thinking. The princess swiveled to see both men straighten their back with newfound strength. Their injuries were mended, and the shimmering magic highlighted the color slowly returning to their ashen faces.

"Jakob, Gunter!" she called, feeling the hopelessness slowly face from her heart. "Are you both okay?"

The veteran knight reared up his horse and nodded confidently. "I am, milady. Good as new!"

"Many thanks," Jakob replied curtly to Elise. Then, he turned his head to Corrin and offered her a dashing smile.

In response to her earlier question, he mouthed out an answer to her that only she was privy too.

"I'm okay," he said silently, annunciating each syllable with his lips. "Thank you."

It was a surprisingly intimate gesture from him. Perhaps the dire straits of battle had changed his mindset temporarily to favor sentimentality over his usual calculated logic. Just seeing his face made her chest swell with awakened resolve.

While Corrin was grateful for the reunion with her family. There wasn't a lot of time to celebrate. They were all still under attack from obviously strong Hoshidan troops. Before Corrin could say another word, her sister Camilla snapped the reigns of her wyvern and peeled towards the ninjas.

In the blink of an eye, they were off their feet and had succumbed to the mighty axe bland Camilla brandished. She heard their weapons snap and their bodies collide with the powdery ground.

"W-Wow…" Corrin said, watching her sister cleave enemies from behind a dust could her dragon mount had created in its powerful wake. "She's so strong."

No doubt her siblings would be perfectly fine. She'd never seen them on the battlefield before, but if their skills in magic, fighting, and healing were matched with the same tenacity that she saw Camilla fighting with, the princess somehow knew there wasn't anything to truly worry about. The outcome would most certainly swing in her side's favor with the newly stacked odds.

Oddly enough, Corrin wasn't certain how she felt about that.

It wasn't long before Saizo was calling for a retreat.

During Camilla's attack, another warrior had emerged onto the battlefield to speak with Saizo. She had long, dark hair and spoke with the red-haired assassin with a certain air of familiarity.

"We're outnumbered, Kagero," Saizo said grimly. "Are there any more allies on the way?"

"Indeed," the woman replied with a quick nod. "Lord Ryoma is right behind me!"

By the time her big sister had defeated the other units, Saizo had retreated from the battlefield with his illusive ally in tow.

Although the severity of the situation was lost on Corrin, she knew Lord Ryoma's name. She didn't know the prince personally, but his title spoke for itself. No doubt Hoshido's oldest prince would be quite a rival to face-off against. It was possible that she might even rival Xander in strength.

If such was true, that was a battle Corrin was absolutely certain she would lose.

"What should we do?" Leo asked Xander as he snapped his tome shut and tucked the book under his arm for safe-keeping.

"The fort has been evaluated and Corrin is safe," the prince said seriously. "We have no reason to engage any longer. Corrin! Follow Gunter back to the entrance. You two will lead the way. The rest of us will follow behind."

It seemed even Xander recognized that it was necessary to escape.

"Right," Corrin said, nodding in relief. She sheathed her blade and pointed toward the bridge she'd created earlier. "Everyone, let's go!"

Finally, they could all go home safely.

The princess didn't need to beckon Gunter to follow her as the two dashed off toward the entrance. Before completely escaping, she took one last look over her shoulder to make sure Jakob was on her heels.

As always, he was following behind her dutifully.

When they locked eyes, each one nodded to the other and they continued their getaway as fast as possible. She somehow resisted the urge to reach back and take his hand, just to make sure they didn't get separated.

For once in her life, the idea of the Northern Fortress's tall walls and dark rooms yielded a sense of immense comfort.

Once they were all back safely, she vowed to pull Jakob aside and finally confide in him. The last battle had been too close of a call for her liking. She knew she no longer had the privilege of being indecisive about her feelings.

Once they were back home safe, she would finally tell him how she really felt.

Corrin followed Gunter back to the canyon entrance. She was thankful for his guidance, fearing otherwise she would have gotten turned around on the dark winding trails that lead back to where they entered the ravine.

"Where' Jakob?" she asked. She had to practically yell the question over the howling wind. "He was here just a second ago!"

"He must be behind us," Gunter said, noting her worry and offering her a small smile. "Rest assured, Lady Corrin. He'll be fine. Jakob is more than competent to navigate his way home. I'm sure he'll be catching up shortly."

As they stood atop the rickety bridge, the wind was making it sway to and fro. With each movement, the ropes and boards seemed to groan from the strain. Gunter's expression immediately changed to one of intense fear.

"We must hurry along," he told her, his brow deepening with intense concern. "I can't stand being atop this bridge any longer!"

Corrin nodded in agreement. She could certainly understand the sentiment.

She didn't like the idea of leaving Jakob behind, but if he was really in danger, she liked to think she would have heard something from behind them. They had cleared the battlefield of enemies, and her siblings were still working their way through the chasm as well. Perhaps he's simply fallen back into their group instead.

At least, she prayed that's what had occurred.

They took no more than a few steps forward before a bright strike of lightning nearly blinded the duo.

However, the light caused something previously unnoticed to stand out to the princess. On the other side of the bridge was the bulky silhouette for a towering warrior. Then, as the figure advanced, she began to make out a familiar sneer. The bone-chilling cackle was the last clue Corrin needed to pin the hulking man's identity.

"Hans!" she scorned, gnashing her teeth at the sight of his bloodied body drawing closer to them. He was blocking their only exit from the unstable bridge.

"So sorry, old man," Hans snickered, glaring at Gunter from beneath his meaty brow. "Don't worry. You won't have to stand there much longer."

Another strike of lightning made everything go white around them. Corrin screwed her eyes shut against the blinding sensation for a mere moment. Then, the sound of splintering wood and a horse's terrified cry seized her attention.

She looked over just in time to see his axe collide with Gunter's chest plate. The force sent him flying back near an opening in the bridge's path. The horse's hooves tried to navigate the warping path, but it was too late.

The bridge gave way and Gunter disappeared downward between the planks without so much as a sound. The tragedy ended in almost an instant. The seeming indifference of the world around her to such a fast death only enhanced the gruesomeness. It happened so fast that Corrin didn't immediately realize what she'd just witnessed. The shock had rendered her temporarily thoughtless.

Then, everything set in.

"Hans, no!" she screamed, rushing to the side. She practically threw her head between the gaps in the planks to watch Gunter plummet into the abyss below.

She'd just watched her mentor Gunter, someone she trusted more than many other people, plummet into the Bottomless Canyon with his steed.

The only person she trusted more, Jakob, was missing.

She was completely alone on the battlefield.

"You would you do this?" she cried again, struggling to raise her voice past the sobs that threatened to rise on her throat. "He was…your own ally…he was my…"

Slowly, she shifted her gaze to meet his. When another strike of lightning highlighting his firewood-broken mass of a face, fear immediately ignited into anger.

"Did I knock your poor babysitter into the ditch?" Hans asked mocking. As he sauntered past the opening when Gunter had fallen, he spat into the crevice. "Don't worry, princess. You two can meet up again at the bottom!"

Then, he lifted the blade of his axe and began to charge her way.

With a guttural roar more akin to a dragon than a human, she raised her blade in response to her words and prepared to cleave him into a bloody pulp.

Another sensation stirred with her. The power wasn't akin to what she'd felt earlier when activating a Dragon Vein. The new sensation she felt blended with her fury, making her seethe with animalistic brutality.

"You'll pay for this!" she growled maliciously. Pure, unbridled hatred oozed from every word.

Suddenly, she raised arm into the air, and without reason, it started to painfully shift into a sharpened appendage. Her skin and bones broke and reformed into a mighty claw that rivaled even the strongest swords and lances made by man. The texture and color of her new body also seemed to blend perfectly with her scaled armor.

While Corrin was unblinking in her reaction, the new strength startled Hans to the point of blundering pause. She skidded to a stop just as raindrops began to descend from the inky.

"What...what kind of monster are you?" he yelled at her, his eyes bulging at the sight of the princesses' transforming body.

Two pressure points of pain began to throb on either side of her forehead. Corrinraised one hand to try to smother to sensation in vain. Moments later, two horns pushed through her skin and exploded from her head with wet thumps. Her arm transformed from an inhuman, scaled blade into a beastly claw.

Her garbled screams turned to roars as she pounced into the air with inhuman strength. Without hesitation, she slammed her body down onto his and used Ganglari to slice into him. The speed at which she moved was unfathomable to the seasoned warrior. He knew instantly that didn't possess the skill or raw strength to stand a chance against her. In mere seconds, she'd turned the tables in her favor.

When she brandished her other clawed arm to assail him with a searing ball of magic, a realization finally eclipsed his stunned expression.

"It can't be…" he groaned, dropping his weapon in shock.

The princess ceased her ambush momentarily. As soon as he was at her mercy, she grasped the opportunity to interrogate him.

"I want answers, Hans!" Corrin commanded. This time, her voice was so loud that she didn't need to try to yell above the stormy wind. "Why did you provoke the Hoshidans? And…any why did you kill Gunter? Answer me!"

Her display of power worked on him. Without any more provoking, Hans finally gave in and relented to her questioning.

"I was just following orders!" he replied helplessly. "King Garon's orders!"

The world went silent.

Corrin's poise faltered at the sound of his answer. No, she couldn't have heard him correctly.

"Stop it!" she screamed, lifted her blade again. In the dark night, her eyes seemed to glow a shade of ethereal red. She screeched at an inhuman octave, "You lie!"

The barbarian wasted no time. As soon as he'd stunned Corrin with his answer, he grabbed his weapon and backtracked across the rain-slicked bridge. As soon as he was across, she saw his body gracelessly flail into the nearby trees in a desperate attempt to escape her.

Her eyes had no trouble spotting his clunky movements through the storm.

"Get back here, you coward!" she hollered, lunging after him with every ounce of strength in her body.

Before she could move, a surge of new energy brought her to a halt.

This time, the unnamed power came from Ganglari. She suddenly felt her chilled body come to a halt. The princess felt control of her own body cease yet again, but unlike her last transformation, the sensation wasn't empowering.

To her horror, she tried desperately to open her hand to drop the sword as a means to break the spell. No matter how hard she tried, her fingers would unlock from their grip.

She could only spectate as her own arm snapped skyward and as invisible force began to lift her off the ground slowly. Then, without warning, it snapped her body to the edge of the screamed in horror as the was reluctantly dragged off the edge into the darkness.

The cold wind blasted her face as she fell.

All sense of direction and even the sight of her own extended arm became consumed by blackness so thick it made her eyes throb.

Her heart shuddered, and her mind raced to comprehend what had just happened. Again, she looked around for any openings or any lifelines she could seize. Each squinted gaze was met with unending blackness.

She knew the scenery was what Gunter must have seen when he'd fallen before her.

It seemed, even after all they'd been through, Hans had been right all along. It seemed she really would meet him again at the bottom.

"I'm sorry, Gunter. I failed you."

She looked up at the surface in time to see the last rays of moonlight she'd ever seen extinguished.

The silver color reminded her of a face she knew she'd never see again. It was a face of another person she'd failed, and of the man she loved.

"I'm sorry…Jakob."

As the inevitable dread of the situation finally entered her mind, her mind finally gave out and she slipped into merciful unconsciousness.

-END-

Every time I have writer's block, wine seems to help. Not just any wine, though. It must be peach wine or rose. Maybe it's because of the fruity taste or the romantic aesthetic, but it always helps me write stories more creatively and with more…passion? That might make it sound weird.

(Obviously, please consume your beverages legally and responsibly.)

See you guys soon!