AUTHOR'S NOTES: And after 3½ months of absolutely nothing, I finally get around to finishing this chapter and updating this fic. No guarantees about the hiatus as a whole, but hopefully this chapter can give insight into what's about to start happening. There's a few implications for a few more pairings, but more importantly, Corrin is a man of his word, and here we are about to finally start saving the rest of the Nohrian siblings.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 97: Fire and Light

Sing with me a song of Sisters and Night…

Nohr was just as dark and foreboding as it was purported to be in the storybooks, and as dark and ominous and Kamui had always described it to her Hoshiden kin.

"I told you it's not a pretty place," Kamui grunted as Corrin's army followed the path that Shura, Reina, and the others had taken to scout out the country, "but the sooner we can get my siblings out of here and out of the Exalted One's clutches, the sooner I'll be able to sleep comfortably and the sooner we can start to purge her influence from Ferevs for good."

"The idea sounds appealing," Sonya hummed, "and while on one hand, returning home might be fun, I do think that Hoshido and Nohr are starting to grow on me."
"Are you expecting me to say the same?" Deen grunted as Sonya glanced his way, "or are you just checking me out again?"

"Me, checking out a boor like you?" Sonya chortled, swaying her hips, "Hardly. I should be the one accusing you of looking me over like a prize to be won."
"You don't act this suggestive around anyone but me," Deen riposted, "and that shocked expression you just covered up just proved it."
"Must you talk so boorishly in public, Deen?" Sonya rolled her eyes, clearly trying to save face.

"Another dance will fix that right quick," Deen raised his eyebrows before growing quiet. Someone behind them snickered.

"I think you two are cute together," Sakura blurted out, before blushing, "I-I mean, not if you don't actually like each other! It's just…"
"Nah, they're great together," Kamui backed her up, "And I'm totally putting them into the next volume of Dancers and Diviners, by name even."
"Hold it," Kamui suddenly found herself surrounded by Oboro, Reina, Mozu, and Kagero, "you're putting them in your next book?"

"What, did you expect me to include everyone in some thinly veiled retelling of this shitshow we call the battle of Ferevs?" Kamui scoffed, "Come now, I love you all, but I can't put you all in. that's just unrealistic even for someone as drunk and creative as me."

"You are all evil people and I am not so fond of this place anymore," Sonya was lying, but Deen gave them a sly grin that was clearly meant to hint that his friend was totally lying through her teeth.

"So this is Nohr then…" Ryoma frowned, and he was clearly not the only Hoshidan with these sentiments, as the others looked up at the harsh and unforgiving skies.

"Welcome to the biggest, baddest city in Ferevs," Kamui spread her arms, "It's quite the contrast to Hoshido, and I can understand if it makes any of you uncomfortable. It's just who we are though—and this lack of light; the lack of growth and the lack of resources, is part of what makes Nohr so resilient, and also what fuels their desire to conquer. We burn in the day and freeze at night; losing countless lives to pestilence, starvation, famine, and crime. Look around you, and you'll see that these streets are mostly bare. Nohrians have learned to mind their own business more often than not."

"And so do you think we're going to get spotted in the undercity?" Hinoka tilted her head.

"Of course we will," Kamui closed her eyes, "but we're armed and ready—and on the hunt."
"Who are you hunting for?" Takumi reached back for his bow, which almost humourously prompted Kiragi to do the same.

"My siblings of course," Kamui explained, "and they might need a good solid beating the way Camilla and I did, but do try not to kill them—and go easy on little Elise."

"So where are we going?" it was Sakura who spoke up this time.

"Castle Krakenburg of course," Kamui noted, "If my siblings are anywhere, they'll be there."

"But they're not?" Sakura looked around shyly, hoping for some backup on this, "a-at least, one of them isn't. They're actually coming towards us."

"How do you know, darling?" Camilla asked, "Obviously I don't mean to doubt someone like you who I believe is physically incapable of lying, but is there some sense of foresight you're not telling us about or something? Because if so, consider me amused."
"Y-you mean none of you can feel it?" Sakura squeaked, "N-none of you can feel that energized presence; that foul aura trying to choke out a pure light?"

There was an awkward silence as everyone else in the army shook their heads, including Corrin and even Azura. Sakura sighed but then shook her head as well.

"It's no matter," she warned, "E-everyone needs to prepare for battle. They're coming even now."

Almost as if this was the cue, there was the thundering of horses, as well as flickers of purple light and shadow. Everyone clutched their weapons a little tighter after that, and suddenly, a large formation of Nohrian and Vallite soldiers surrounded them on two sides. At the center of them was a red-eyed Elise in what was a somewhat uncomfortable scene painted in front of them.

"The Exalted one bids you welcome!" Elise's normally bright and cheerful voice was punctuated by an eerie pitch that made it clear her mind was not her own. "Relax; get comfortable, and make yourselves at home… why not lay down… take a rest, perhaps?"
With a rather deft movement, Elise twirled a gnarled staff with a blue orb at the end of it, and pointed it directly at Kamui. Since she had not anticipated this attack in time, she was hit with the spell, which made her eyes cross.

"So… woozy…" she muttered, before taking her sword, plunging it into the ground as she collapsed to her knees. Kamui had just been hit by a sleep spell.

"This… is going to be bad," Oboro clutched her spear tighter.

"We're going to have to rush her," Kagero turned to Corrin, "and she just took out our best rusher."

"Stay alert!" Sakura warned as the army began to fan out. She brandished a staff of her own, waking up Kamui, who in turn jumped in fright and surprise.

"WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN!?" she swung her sword like a hooligan before realizing what had happened. "Sleep ? huh boy…"

Elise kept her distance from Corrin's army as the rest of her soldiers advanced to flank her and her vantage point. Her retainers, Arthur, Effie, and Nikita, all kept close to her, standing as a sort of impenetrable bulwark against the opposing army.

"This is justice!" Arthur raised his axe against Rinkah's club, "and with justice on my side, not even my bad luck will let me falter in protection of my liege!"

"I didn't live 16 years on this gods-forsaken rock just to die here," Rinkah cracked her knuckles, "you want to dance? Let's dance!"

Incidentally, it was Benny who kept Effie occupied, because she proved to be strong enough to sweep aside many members of the Hoshidan army, and so needed someone whose strength nearly matched her own, and Kamui was off clashing steel with Nikita, who was very similar to Kamui in the sense that both were fairly small women who boasted terrifying physical strength and battlefield prowess.

"I know you don't mean to do this," Benny grunted as he resisted Effie's onslaught, "I can see it in your eyes—you are… much friendlier, normally."
"What do you know about me?" Effie retorted, "I put my life on the line for my liege and smash anything or anyone that threatens her! "
"I just don't want to see you overdo it," Benny frowned, his armor deflecting what would have been another sleep spell from Elise's staff, "even if we're on opposite sides of the battlefield. I know what's happening here." He and the others had long since been filled in about the curse of Valla as well as the Exalted One's curse on the Nohrian (and formerly Hoshidan) royalty. This had been part of why Corrin and his army were trying to take a more merciful approach when dealing with Elise and even the Nohrian soldiers. The Vallite puppets, however, were cut down without mercy.

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" Nikita's mood had just swung back into her off-the-handle wild rage as she clashed against Kamui, "Why won't you DIE?!"

"Because I'm a goddamn dragon!" Kamui taunted, "And I'm invincible. Deal with it."

Elise proved to be the most difficult part of the battle for Corrin and his army because of how swiftly she was able to use that staff of hers to great effect—and no matter how many times she seemed to use it, it never seemed to lose its charge.

Deen and Sonya were having a heyday, launching powerful attacks as if out of nowhere, and clearly reveling in the battle. They were instructed to avoid Elise and not to engage if possible, and so they stuck to mowing down rank-and-file soldiers. They did not complain, for they seemed to be enjoying themselves, as were Reina and even Shura.

"I thought you said you regretted the violent lifestyle, Shura darling," Reina tauinted as she shot a pair of arrows deftly through the eyes of a Vallite shadow.

"Maybe I lied," Shura grunted, "It wouldn't be the first time, you know."

"And you wonder why I remain so enthralled with you," Reina giggled.

"Beceause the idea of the daughter of Hoshidan magistrates falling for a Nohrian lowlife like myself is a touch unusual, if you ask me," Shura quipped, "Maybe there'd be claim to go off of if I was still part of Kohga—or of Kohga was still even a thing, but there isn't."
"Oh, you'll do just fine," Reina chortled, "but come; we can compare scores later. Those feisty samurai might top us if we're too careless." She cast a glance at Hana and Hinata, who had definitely been growing closer to one another through their little scorekeeping game on the battlefield or during the night watch. She wondered if anything would come of that, but figured she could wonder such things when they weren't being attacked.

Camilla and Sakura were the ones attempting to break through the ranks and reach Elise, but this proved to be more difficult than they had expected. Azura tailed them in the hopes of freeing her with her song, but in a way it made the situation more precarious because the Vallite soldiers in particular seemed to know exactly who the three of them were and dropped much of what they were doing in an attempt to stop them. Azura's fancy footwork kept her safe from most attacks, but it was primarily Camilla's own agility and strength coupled with Sakura's magic that carved them a swathe through the Vallite defenders.

Kamui, Rinkah, and Benny managed to keep Elise's retainers busy as Sakura and Camilla made their approach, although Azura and Camilla had to keep on their toes in particular because Elise was aiming for them. Sakura had been her first target, but the little priestess proved to be far too evasive and magically resilient for the spells to affect her.

Elise did not seem nearly as malevolent as Ryoma, Camilla, Hinoka, Takumi, and Kamui had been. Much like Sakura, she was more interested in healing than hurting, which may have explained why she was merely disabling Corrin's army with her sleep staff rather than outright attacking them. Sakura was where things got different, however—especially after Camilla intervened.

A rather formidable charge—a beam much more prominent than any of her early ones—exited Elise's staff. Had it connected with Sakura, it would have likely broken through her resistances and even put her to sleep, but instead of allowing that to happen, Camilla took the brunt of the attack, falling to her knees. Almost as if to subconsciously prevent her face planting on the ground, she stuck her sword out and let it cushion her fall, the blade plunging into the ground as she leaned against it.

"Don't… worry about… me…" she whispered before she started to softly snore as she slipped from consciousness.

"I-it's all me!" Sakura squealed, and brandished her Cymbeline tome as if in reaction to this, Elise brandished Rexaura, her hungry glowing eyes now fixated on Sakura.

It did not take long for them to clear a noticeably sized area in a rough circle around them, what with the streams of fire and light that were flying in at all angles. Elise originally attempted violent area-of-effect magical attacks, but after they left openings for Sakura to counterattack, she reverted her focus.

"I just… need to hold out… until Azura sings…" Sakura whispered to herself, steeling herself for a fight that, upon looking at how occupied everyone around her was, she realized would be on her own.