#takurrin

Despite the supplies they'd managed to retrieve, their expedition into the depths of the castle felt like a mistake to Corrin. They'd come away with materials they could use to strengthen their weapons, to repair their bows and arrows, with medicine, salves and herbs they desperately needed, and yet she regretted stepping a single foot from the library when they returned.

She couldn't forget. The bones. The evidence of the castle's inhabitants' final, futile stand against Anankos' forces. Blood and magic. Broken arrows. Fractured steel. It showed on her face, in the shadows beneath her eyes, when her siblings looked at her.

"You've returned in one piece," Ryoma noted, scanning each of his allies as they filed into the library. "However, from the look on your face, I assume it was for naught?"

Corrin shook her head. "No, actually. We managed to find most of what we were after."

She gestured to the bundle of supplies in Keaton and Kaden's arms, along with the pristine white armour Oboro was currently fussing over. Upon their return, a hum of interest swept through the library. A flicker of hope.

Somehow, it made Corrin feel hollow. The supplies they'd retrieved, the materials salvaged, had been left behind by the dead. The taste of decay lingered on her tongue. Thick and putrid. A stain she couldn't wash away, couldn't swallow down. Even when Takumi saw that she'd returned and began to approach, she didn't have the strength to force a smile.

"Did something happen?" Xander asked. He folded his arms, studied her with concern. "You don't seem to be sharing in the hope that you and your allies have brought us."

Leo echoed his older brother's expression of worry. "Were you spotted?"

"No, it's not that." She brushed them off. Their questions tightened the vice around her throat.

They had been right all along. She'd taken a chance, put their entire quest, their lives, at risk- and it had been for nothing.

It had been a mistake to hope. Not after Anthony, not after everything they'd seen.

"It's nothing, really," Corrin continued. She didn't meet Takumi's eyes when he came up beside Ryoma. "We didn't encounter anyone. No soldiers, no faceless. It's just like you said. This place has been abandoned for years."

She took a breath.

"To me, this feels like the calm before the storm," she said. "Anankos knows we're here- he's pulled back his soldiers, waiting for us to strike. He's waiting for us to come to him."

"And how do you know that?" Xander countered. "For all we know, he could be waiting for us to let our guard down under that very assumption."

"Then we don't let our guard down." Corrin stood taller. "We prepare ourselves for our final battle. To face Anankos."

Ryoma and Xander shared a glance. Leo frowned, cogs turning behind his eyes, while Takumi stared at her in shock.

"We're not prepared to face Anankos," Takumi said. "You told us as much before! We need the Yato to resonate with all four divine weapons before we even have a chance to put a single scratch on Anankos."

He was right.

"I know that, but-"

By pointing that out, the incomplete Yato at her side, Takumi had inadvertently drawn her failings out into the open.

It hurt. Like slivers of ice piercing her heart, her weakness and guilt drove in deep. Her grudges towards Ryoma and Xander, her inability to let go and move on, had sealed their fate.

"We can't afford to wait any longer," Corrin said. "As soon as we're ready, we move out."

Not a suggestion- a command.

"Tell everyone to prepare themselves." She nodded to Ryoma, to Xander, and both understood what the weight in Corrin's voice meant.

They had no choice. It was now or never. Like the citizens of Valla before them, it was time for their final stand. Their final battle.

Even if they were far from ready.

Corrin steadied herself, swallowed the unease building inside her. There was one more thing she needed to say. “If things go south, if it looks like we can’t defeat him-”

“No.” Takumi cut her off.

Corrin shook her head. “Please, listen-”

“I know what you’re trying to say, and you can’t ask us to do that. Not after everything we’ve been through,” Takumi said. He folded his arms, a stubborn fire in his eyes. Stubborn, determined, and hurt.

Hurt that she’d suggest he abandon her.

Ryoma placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder in solidarity. “Takumi is right. We knew what we were signing up for when you asked us to leap into the Bottomless Canyon. It’s all or nothing. We’re with you until the end.”

Leo nodded. “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had the odds against us.”

A lump tightened in Corrin’s throat. They were willing to stand with her, to die with her, and it should have bolstered her courage, made her stand taller, hold her head higher. Instead, it made her crumble. Her heart fractured.

After all her efforts, had their fate remained unchanged?

“I can’t-” lose you again, she almost said. She couldn’t doom them to the same fate she’d desperately tried to save them from. Was this all she could do?

Was this where she failed?

With an incomplete Yato in her hands, she was going to lead them all to their deaths.

—--

A newfound energy swept through their makeshift camp in the library. Their final battle on the horizon, everyone swung into action. Bumps and bruises were ignored in favor of repairing armor, sharpening weapons, enjoying a meal.

A meal that would perhaps be their last.

It tasted like ash. Corrin swallowed it down with her tears, hoping it wasn’t obvious that she was avoiding the eyes of each of her allies. How could she face them knowing what the next hour would bring?

She stared numbly down at the Yato in her good arm, willing something, anything, to happen. It hummed almost imperceptibly with the same energy as always, enhanced by Takumi’s Fujin Yumi and Leo’s Brynhildr. Two gems sat in the length of the blade, the first, closest to the hilt, was a deep violet. The second gem shone a soft teal, inset higher along the blade. Two empty spots remained, waiting to be activated by Ryoma’s Raijinto and Xander’s Siegfried. In Corrin’s hand, the golden blade glowed with wisps of teal and violet, spilling from the edges like sunbeams through clouds.

In another time, the Yato had taken a different form. The glow was darker, a heavier mauve, the gemstones bright amethysts. With the power from Xander and Leo’s divine weapons, she had slain King Garon.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

It hadn’t been enough to have Xander and Ryoma fight alongside her. The Blade remained unchanged.

And time was running out.

“Lady Corrin!” Oboro swept in front of Corrin, breaking her out of her thoughts. “The armour is ready for you!”

The armour - a bundle of white trimmed with blue and gold in Oboro’s arms. It had been the last thing on Corrin’s mind.

“Let’s get you into it and see how it fits, shall we?” Oboro urged, grinning excitedly. Azura stood behind her with a warm smile, almost nostalgic. Corrin could almost see the memories flashing behind Azura’s golden eyes.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Corrin asked Azura as they headed behind a curtain strung up for privacy at the back of the library. Nestled between broken and empty bookshelves, it was out of sight, where Corrin could change with the help of Sakura and Oboro without anyone else seeing the rippled scar on her chest.

Azura nodded as they helped Corrin into the Royal Vallite armour. “It deserves to be worn,” she said softly, “by a leader. By you.”

For a second, tears glistened in Azura’s eyes. Tears brought forth by resurfacing memories. The sight made Corrin’s heart catch, and she sucked in a breath to keep herself steady, to stop herself from trembling. An unspoken moment passed between them as Azura buckled the gauntlets on Corrin’s left arm, the slight pressure feeling dull through her damaged nerves. She tried, without a word, to grasp Azura’s hand. Her fingers gave the slightest twitch and nothing more. Barely noticeable.

It was too late to hope for a miracle.

Corrin looked away as they retied the sling keeping her disabled left arm to her chest, the world swimming around her. Vision swaying. Blurring. Conversations a buzz in her ears.

“How’s that?” Oboro asked, as they stepped back to appraise the armour’s fit.

The world shifted back to normal. Corrin rolled her good shoulder, stretched her arm, twisted her torso this way and that, feeling like she could breathe again. The stunning white armour fit like a glove. Oboro’s talent had been put to good use tailoring it to Corrin’s build without damaging a single stitch. It was light-weight and breathable, allowing Corrin to move with ease. She kicked up her leg, morphing it into a monstrous limb, scaled with claws like knives where her foot should’ve been. Oboro and Sakura ducked back a step further, the young princess muffling a startled yelp. With more room available, Corrin plunged the tip of her Yato into the floorboards and swung herself through the air into a backflip, dragging the blade up to follow her as she landed. Her feet landed awkwardly, unbalanced with only one arm, but the surge of adrenaline rushing through Corrin made her grin.

She turned to Oboro, flashed a smile at Sakura and Azura. “It’s perfect.”

—

A flurry of thoughts spun through Corrin’s mind as they broke their makeshift camp in the library and stood ready to leave. Her fingers swept over her Yato’s grip instinctively as nerves built. Within her, within her army. Trepidation, hesitation. A feeling of finality, of wonder, and, deep beneath it all, rage. Corrin felt it burn inside her. A fire of retribution waiting to be unleashed.

She looked over the crowd of her allies, a jumble of different cultures, different armours, different weapons, all standing together side by side. The best of Nohr and Hoshido, all looking to her for guidance.

And she was leading them to their deaths.

Corrin stood taller. “You all know what it means when we step out of this room,” she began, addressing her allies, her friends, for what could be the last time. “This is what everything we’ve gone through, every battle we’ve fought, has been for.”

There was hope in their eyes. Determination shining brighter than ever before. It fueled the icy guilt buried in her chest, spreading through her veins. They looked to her as a hero.

And she was damning them to fail.

“We stand here together, children of Nohr, of Hoshido-” she looked to Azura, who smiled softly, “-and of Valla. This is our final battle, and together, we will triumph.”

A rumble of energy spread through her allies, and her voice caught silently in her throat. Words failed her. They believed in her. Trusted her.

And she was lying to them.

Takumi met her eyes. Understanding flashed between them. He knew her fears, her doubts. He knew that lying to her allies like this was driving a knife into her heart, deeper and deeper with every word.

And he stood with her.

“Today,” Corrin continued, her voice silencing the room, “we put an end to this. We bring justice to those we’ve lost, those we’re fighting for.” She looked to Ryoma. “For Scarlet,” she said.

Ryoma nodded.

“For Flora.” Jakob bowed his head, Gunter beside him standing to attention.

“For King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto.” Slowly, she met the gazes of each of her siblings from Hoshido.

“For the innocents of Hoshido and Nohr, and the people of Valla.”

And for Anthony, she thought.

Corrin turned towards the library doors, nodded to Kaze for him to swing them open. With a near silent draw of her blade, she held Yato by her side, felt it pulse with energy. She didn’t look back.

“Let’s go,” she said, and stepped forward into the corridor beyond.

—-

The castle was warily silent. Not a soul lingered in the empty halls, the dilapidated rooms they passed, the doors fallen from their hinges or broken inwards. There was no hiding their movements now. A trail of thunderous footsteps, the footsteps of an army, echoed around them as they headed into the heart of the castle.

Corrin kept her gaze focused. Watching the path ahead with a steeled determination to not let the unknowns creep into her mind. It was too late to wonder about them now. The unnatural silence unnerved her, keeping thoughts of the identity of the traitor, of why she couldn’t get the Yato to resonate with Ryoma and Xander’s weapons, of whether or not this was a suicide mission without the Fire Emblem, far away.

Despite the calm, Corrin heightened her guard. Right now, she knew they were in the eye of the storm. The silence before the fall. Even with the quiet, the ease of which they traversed the castle, it was clear to Corrin that this was deliberate. Anankos was staying his hand. Waiting for them.

Somehow, she could feel him, within the depths of the castle. Like a predator lying in wait, salivating at the thought of a meal just out of reach. A snake coiled ready to strike.

A monster. A destroyer of worlds.

Corrin’s father.

That secret remained tucked inside her heart as they approached the heavy wooden doors of the throne room. Azura came up beside Corrin, silver spear in her hands, and met her eyes.

Silently, Corrin nodded to Kaze and Jakob, who readied themselves by the doors. Her siblings, her family, from Hoshido and Nohr rallied behind her. She felt their presence.

With but a glance to her retainers, the doors to the throne room were swung open, and Corrin stormed forward, Yato blazing in her hand.

She drew up short in the centre of the room. The throne was empty. The entity she’d felt looming in the darkness had vanished. There was nothing, no one, for them to fight.

“He’s… not here…?” the words spilled from Corrin in disbelief. She swept her gaze around the room. Once, twice, as her allies filed in behind her, as Azura drew up to her side. “This- This can’t be right. I felt him, he was here-”

Corrin spun on her heels, the force from her turn dizzying. Her allies watched her, studied the room around them, and waited. The air in Corrin’s lungs came up short. She swallowed, mouth dry, heart pounding.

There was no one here.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Corrin said, shaking her head. She headed for the throne, feet thumping on the broken marble tiles. “He has to be here.”

“Unless, he was never going to be here in the first place.”

A gravely voice made Corrin whirl.

“Isn’t that right, Lady Corrin?”

She stared at Gunter, taking in his words. “What do you mean?”

“Do you not think it rather convenient that we could traverse this castle with such ease?” Gunter said. “Ever since we set foot in this place, not a single soldier has attacked us. Now, why would that be?”

“What are you suggesting?” Ryoma asked.

“I didn’t want to consider it myself, not until I learned her true identity - and it all makes sense now.” Gunter hefted his spear, tapping the end onto the tiles as he leveled his gaze onto Corrin. “But the traitor who has been plaguing us from the moment we stepped into Valla is you, Lady Corrin.”

All eyes turned to her.

“What are you saying? Corrin can’t be the traitor!” Azura exclaimed.

The Yato sank in Corrin’s grip. Her eyes widened, but she saw nothing.

No.

“It can’t be her!” Takumi protested. “She was attacked by the traitor!”

“And did anyone else see that actually occur?” Gunter said. He kept his gaze on Corrin, hard and cold. A gaze seeping with rage. “Did she have any wounds to show from that attack?”

Takumi drew up speechless. “But that’s- she wouldn’t-”

“Corrin was almost killed by Anthony,” Leo said. “If she were the traitor, that would make no sense.”

“The key word there being ‘almost,’” Gunter replied. “What better way to absolve her of suspicion? And who was with Scarlet when she was killed?”

He didn’t need to say it. Corrin tasted blood in her mouth. Blood and ash.

I’m not-

“That’s a very serious accusation you’re levelling at my dear Corrin,” Camilla said. She folded her arms, studiously watching Gunter. “Do you have anything more to back it up than circumstantial evidence?”

“Yeah!” Elise echoed. “Corrin’s not a traitor!”

“I know her true identity,” he said.

The world dipped beneath Corrin’s feet.

Takumi stiffened. “Her true identity?”

Gunter nodded. “The daughter of Anankos. A princess of Valla.”

Everything went dark. Silent.

“That’s not true! Corrin is a princess of Nohr. She-” Corrin felt Takumi’s eyes land on her, felt and heard the moment he saw the look on her face. “Corrin…?”

She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

“I heard it from Corrin herself,” Gunter said. “She admitted to being Anankos’ daughter. Why else would she gather up the strongest from Hoshido and Nohr and lure us down here, if not to our deaths?”

His voice echoed in her mind.

Slowly, Corrin raised her head. “Gunter…”

“Are you going to deny it? Being Anankos’ daughter? The Traitor?”

She stepped forward, down the steps leading up to the throne, and she knew.

She knew who the traitor was.

“How long were you down here?” Corrin asked, her voice a quiet echo. A whisper. A breath of disbelief.

Gunter’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? That has nothing to do with this.”

Air fled between her lips in a silent, but bitter, laugh. Tears washed over her eyes. “I was so happy to see you again, I never thought about it. About you-” She shook her head, shook back a sob before it sounded. “How long you spent down here, before we found you again. And what that would do to you.”

What it had done to Takumi.

Her words had an immediate effect on Takumi. His eyes widened in realisation. He stole his bow off his back, turning to face Gunter.

“Possession,” he hissed.

“It’s you, isn't it?” Corrin said, fighting back tears. “You’re the traitor.”

“Accusing your accuser?” Gunter scoffed. “You couldn’t sound more desperate with your lies.”

“And all this time, I thought…” she couldn’t say anymore. Her heart had broken into pieces.

“That’s why you were so insistent the traitor had to be from Hoshido,” Xander said. “So no suspicion would be cast over you.”

“You’re choosing to believe her? The Daughter of Anankos?” Gunter rebuffed.

“It doesn’t matter who her father is!”

Takumi’s voice was like a jolt of lightning through Corrin. It stole the breath from her lungs.

“Corrin has given more than any of us to be here. She saved us- she saved me!” He looked to her, a stubborn blaze burning in his eyes. “She never turned her back on any of us, and I’m never turning my back on her. Corrin is not the traitor. The only one who would even suggest that would be the traitor themselves.”

Corrin sank in relief. A stiff silence washed over them as everyone turned to face Gunter. He stood tall, unmoving. Not a thread of emotion on his face.

“It’s you?” Jakob took a step back from Gunter, blades drawn. “After what they did to Flora?”

It’s been raining allday.

They knew it wascoming ever since their troops stepped into Nohrian territory. And it was notjust the usual trickling droplets that would fall during the Hoshidan springseason. No, we’re talking about a gigantic downpour, with the clouds turningdark as night and the wind howling against the windows. The kind of weather thatdefinitely doesn’t make you want to step outside.

Takumi sighed loudly,clearly disappointed. That storm was really ruining his plans, since he had meantto go to the archery range and get some training done. Every battle was gettingmore and more challenging so he needed to be in top shape for he would bedoomed before he’d let himself fall to a Nohrian soldier. Not after what thatdamned country had done to his family.

Another gush of windbrought his thoughts back to his current preoccupations. It looked like hewould have to forgo training for today. He could always use one of the interiortraining grounds but, nothing could beat feeling the wind on your face and the earthunder your feet whilst carefully aiming and shooting at your target.

While he was gettingready to settle for a cup of tea and a game of shogi with Hinata and Oboro, thearcher heard someone approaching. He quickly turned around to see his oldersister running in his direction, coming to an abrupt stop as she reached him.Before Takumi could ask her about what was going on, Hinoka grabbed hisshoulders, almost shaking him.

- Have you seenCorrin anywhere?!

Her voice was harshand her eyes filled with worry, pressing him for an answer. Takumi did notunderstand what the fuss was all about and simply answered with a disinterestedtone.

- No, I actuallyhaven’t seen her at all today…

As Hinoka let go ofhis shoulders, seeming even more worried, he added questioningly.

- Why does it matteranyway? She’s probably just in her quarters, away from the rain…

Before he couldfinish, his sister interrupted him, almost screaming.

- No, she’s not! Wesearched the whole castle and she’s nowhere to be seen! What if somethinghappened? What if some Nohrian scum managed to get here and harm her?!

Hinoka was borderlinepanicking and Takumi knew why it scared her so much. Ever since Corrin’sreturn, they all had been worried of her disappearing again. If they lost heronce what prevented them from losing her again?

The archer hardlybelieved that enemy forces could have followed them back in the astral plane, thoughit didn’t stop the worry from creeping on his mind. What if something didhappen?

- We thought you hada chance to know since you two were together all the time these past few days…So, if you have no idea, then I can’t help imagine the worst…

Takumi slightlyblushed at his sister’s comment, averting his gaze. It’s true that Corrin andhe had been training together a lot recently, yet it’s not like they weresuddenly attached at the hips. He was about to retort something when Hinoka abruptlygrabbed his arm and dragged him along with her.

- Ryoma is alreadyout there looking for her. We warned Sakura to be prepared in case somethinghappened…

- Wait, Ryoma wentoutside? In this weather?

What was his brotherthinking? With the rain falling like it was, he would most surely get sick ifhe stayed out too long.

- Obviously! IfCorrin is nowhere inside then she has to be somewhere outside… Now you and Iare going to go and find her before she gets hurt…or worse!

Takumi grumbled, as hewas not fond of getting soaked in the rain, but his concern for his sibling wayexceeded his annoyance.

Tthey stepped out ofthe castle and Hinoka quickly gestured to the west side of the astral plane.

- You go this way.I’ll take the other side and we meet up here when we’re done. Be sure to checkeverywhere!

Takumi rolled hiseyes but nodded, watching her storm off in the other direction. The rain waspouring even more than he initially thought and was freezing him to the bone. God!where could that foolish woman have ventured to? Takumi just wanted to find heras fast as possible and return inside, to the comfort of the fireplace.

He thought back towhat Hinoka had said before. How the both of them had been spending a lot oftime together lately. What if she…

No, she couldn’t havebeen stupid enough to go practice her archery in the rain… right? But themore Takumi thought about it, the more it sounded exactly like something Corrinwould do. With a grunt and a scoff, he rapidly made his way to the archeryrange.

Upon arriving, heinstantly realised that his speculations were true. Sure enough, the Hoshidanprincess was standing there, bow in hands and shooting at the target in frontof her.

While tempted to justrush and grab her, before bringing her back to the castle, Takumi stopped amoment to observe the woman in front of him.

Her form was far fromperfect and she was pulling too hard on the string, yet he was impressed at howevery shot managed to hit the target. The multiple arrows on the ground made itclear that she had not achieved this feat from the beginning, still Takumi was veryproud of how quickly she managed to improve herself. She was far from hitting bull’s-eyeor a moving target, but there was a start to everything and he knew his sistercould make it.

Sister…

The word now felt likea bitter poison coursing through his heart and mind.

Although he knew thatwas how he was supposed to see her, that couldn’t have been farther from histrue feelings.

He remembered caringfor her like that back when they were children. He used to look up to her andadmire how confident and bright she was. Then their father was killed, Corrin waskidnapped and everything changed…

The first years wereawful. They had to mourn their father, cowardly murdered by King Garon, whiledesperately trying to get their lost sibling back. Ryoma inherited Raijinto andthe burden of the hopes and expectations of all their people, while Hinokastarted training day and night, pushing herself to the brink of danger.Everyone came together to protect Sakura, but no one could shelter her from herown feelings, as she cried herself to sleep every night.

Takumi also took totraining intensely, attempting to forget about his pain. And, while he missedhis sister dearly, life kept moving forward and so would he. Being chosen bythe Fujin Yumi gave him a lot of power, as well as a lot of pressure and, thoughhe was trying so hard to keep up with Ryoma and Hinoka, he never seemed to beable to compare to his two remarkable siblings.

And, over the years,his feelings started to change. Time passed, and yet all the attention of hisfamily was still only centered on Corrin. No matter how much he worked andtrain and fought, he would always go unnoticed. While he understood the desireto find her again, he wished his family would focus more on what they still had,instead of what they lost. And with that, slowly came the resentment for thesister who wasn’t even there.

The day Corrinfinally returned to them, Takumi couldn’t help but feel ashamed since he wasthe only one in the family who had given up on ever finding her again. Thatshame didn’t stop him however, from greeting her with suspicion. After havingbeen raised in Nohr, who could swear that her allegiance had not switched overthe years…

When Mother fell, killedby the cursed sword Corrin had brought with her in their Kingdom, he was quickto brand her as a traitor. But, when faced with the Nohrian scum she calledfamily, she unexpectedly chose to confront them, deciding to stand and fightwith Hoshido instead. And when, by some dark and mysterious magic, he ended upturning against his own allies, she stood by him and believed in him, makingTakumi realize just how much he had misjudged her. This was the day he decidedhe would follow her until the end.

Not that he wouldever have told her so! Years of feeling neglected and left out had made him distrustfuland hardened to almost everyone. Besides, he had no interest of letting her closeto him again.

Corrin would havenone of that though. Every day, she strived to talk to him and, no matter howmuch he tried to push her away, she would not stop coming back, again andagain. Takumi finally gave up and the more time they spent together, the morehis feeling started to change. Her smile, her laugh, her perseverance anddetermination were all traits he came to love about her and, soon enough, shehad warmed her way into the depth of his heart. Day and night, she was all hecould think about and the love he felt for her was starting to consume him.

He should have feltshameful. He should’ve tried to kill these feelings before they even started. Then,one thing changed it all. A letter, left by the late Queen Mikoto, informinghim of the reality behind her daughter’s lineage. It turned out that Corrin wasnever Sumeragi’s daughter, meaning that she shared no blood tie with any of theHoshidan royals.

It was shocking atfirst, then it relieved Takumi of a great pressure. His feelings were neitherforbidden nor repulsive and he was now free to embrace them. The only shadow onthe horizon was the woman he so desperately loved.

Corrin didn’t knowabout the content of the letter. She was still certain to be a part of theirfamily and had chosen to stand by them because she thought they were her birthfamily. How would she react if she were to learn the truth? Should Takumi even tellher?

Such dilemmas had beenconstantly pounding in his head for the last few days and the archer wascertain he would go crazy thinking about it.

He was abruptlybrought back to the present when he heard a long whimper, before seeing Corrinstumble and collapse to the ground.

In a second, he foundhimself sprinting to her side. She was lying on the damp ground, drenched andshivering violently. Her skin was pale and her lips were turning a worryingshade of blue. She needed help and she needed it fast.

Quickly, Takumi pickedher up to carry her to the castle. It was a good thing that Sakura had beeninstructed to be prepared for anything, as Corrin would need immediate care. Whilehe walked towards the castle, he kept her body close to him, trying to warm herup even slightly. He was tempted to run to save time, however, with the groundso slippery, this was a plan to make both of them fall on their faces.

While she felt coldat first because of her soaked clothes, her whole body now radiated a burningheat since she was clearly overcome with fever. He could feel her crazedheartbeat as she was trembling against him and he couldn’t help but mumble witha contained anger.

- Gods! what were youthinking?! Sometimes, I wonder if you even take the time to think before doinganything…

She often seemed tojust be rushing into things, as if her instinct and some kind of divine luckwere a good enough failsafe. Though, maybe, that naive confidence anddetermination was a part of what Takumi found so attractive about her. While heoften reacted impulsively, he was more of a pessimist and her blind optimismwas a nice change.

She shivered a bitmore, her body now pressing harder on his chest. His anger automatically meltedand he looked at her with fondness and worry.

- I swear… you’regoing to be the death of me.

- I’m… sorry…

It was only a whisperbut he still heard it over the pouring rain, while looking at her tremblinglips. He was honestly surprised, since he didn’t think she was conscious, yet alsoconcerned believing she should not be speaking right now.

- Corrin, you shouldn’t…

Her hand shakily grabbedhis shirt as she interrupted him.

- I’m sorry Takumi…I just wanted to train hard…like you… you… you said I had to bedi-diligent…

He blinked for asecond, trying to process what she just said.

- Wait… that’s whyyou spent the day outside while it’s pouring like hell?

She slightly nodded andwrinkled her brow, probably from the pain of the fever.

- I just… wanted tomake you proud…

Takumi felt himselfspeechless, as Corrin added with a raspy sigh.

- But I messed up…like always… And then… then you always have to take care of me…

He was about toprotest when she continued.

- I’m really wastingyour time… aren’t I?

She faintly scoffedbefore erupting in a coughing fit.

For a few seconds, hesimply held her. She wasn’t a bother. If he had felt that way at first, thatundeniably wasn’t the case anymore. He would follow her to the end of the earthand right through hell if she asked it of him. He was ready to stand at herside, to support and help her, until the end. But he didn’t know how to tellher without revealing his true feelings. Yet, he didn’t want her to feel likeshe was a burden, because she definitely wasn’t. After a long moment ofsilence, he finally settled on something.

- Just… Don’t worryabout it…

Short and simple.Maybe too simple though…

- Why… why do youalways come for me?

Because I love you. It really was that simple. And hecouldn’t tell her. Not right here, not like that.

He reflected on itfor a moment while he continued walking in silence, approaching the castle.Fumbling with his words, he finally answered something.

- I just… youknow… care about you…

He hoped she couldn’tsee the blush that was slowly starting on his cheeks. While his emotions wereclear as day, he was never able to express them quite like he would have liked.Hiding behind a rude and closed off mask prevented him from getting hurt, butalso kept people at bay. And even with people he actually wanted to keep close,it was hard to let go of his long-time perfected facade.

He was brought out ofhis thoughts by a soft, though wet hand that shakily stroked his cheek. Corrinwas smiling softly, her eyes half-lidded, while she whispered to him.

- I know… You actall tough yet you’re actually really sweet.

Well, now the blushhad definitely settled on his face. When he tried to object, she continued, leaningon him with her head on his shoulder.

- You really are amazingTakumi…

Her voice wasslightly slurring and her gip on his shirt loosened. Takumi first worried herstate was worsening and was ready to run, before realizing that she wasprobably just falling asleep.

- And I hope youknow…how much I… I love…

Thewords were really indistinct and the last part was truly inaudible. A fewseconds later, her breathing became heavier, showing that she was deep inslumber.

Takumiwas currently battling his own heart. Since the end of her sentence got lost,he couldn’t know what she truly meant. But now, where a hopeless dilemma oncestood, was a bloom of hope. Maybe, there was a chance his feelings could bereturned…

Almostat the castle’s gates, Takumi looked at the sleeping woman in his arms, finallyletting go of his mask, his gaze filled with fondness and love.

-If you only knew how much I love you…

Ashe whispered the words he knew she couldn’t hear, he slowly kissed her foreheadwith a rather unusual tenderness.

Soonafter, he was intercepted by Hinoka and the two of them quickly brought Corrinto the infirmary, where Sakura was waiting. He explained the situation to hissiblings while his little sister made sure to care for Corrin’s condition.

Inthe next few hours, she was all healed, warmed up and tucked in bed. And, throughit all, Takumi stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake up. He didn’t knowwhat their future would hold but he knew that, next time they would talk, hewould have the courage to tell her the truth.