Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warnings:
Categories:
Fandoms:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2016-03-14
Updated:
2017-01-19
Words:
22,868
Chapters:
4/?
Comments:
2
Kudos:
17
Hits:
799

Kizuna: What Cannot be Broken

Summary:

An enemy wanting revenge on Bayonetta for her recent events in Inferno teams up with an enemy from Corrin’s universe to retrieve the dragon twins. Shulk’s vision early in the day foreshadows Corrin’s death by Bayonetta’s hands, but despite the warning, things end up taking a turn for the worse. Now Bayonetta has to live with the consequences of her actions…unless she goes to Inferno and retrieves the item needed to restore Corrin to his original state.

Notes:

This is an original scenario of two with the worse one being Corrin's actual death. This is a scenario of him surviving the encounter with consequences. Spoilers for the third route. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Getting Ahead Of Yourself

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Bayonetta knew that she had many enemies in the past. She was used to it because if anyone wanted to get back at her, they knew where to find her. It was incredibly difficult to attack her directly. The people that were associated with the Umbra Witch were just as difficult to deal with that it was impossible to exact revenge on Bayonetta. Most demons would give up simply because they valued their life over their petty revenge. Angels weren't that smart in comparison and often threw their lives away to attack her. This was why she was able to stay in business with her angel slaying career. It was made harder in Smash due to the Goddess of Light and her two angels participating and they refused for their angel kin to suffer the same fate as the ones from Paradiso. She would have to do her hunting outside of Smashopolis to make sure she was still getting the amount of halos needed as proof she was still following her demon contract.

There were some demons that were incredibly persistent though. Their grudges were stronger than steel and would continue to attack her until the end of time. It was that sort of nonsense villains used to make the hero fear them before they met their ultimate demise. Bayonetta had never taken these enemies seriously due to how cliché they were.

Unfortunately, this mentality would harm someone dear to her.

Bayonetta learned that Madame Butterfly had made enemies with the demons of Inferno but couldn't care less about it. The Alraune that attempted to eat Jeanne's soul was just one of the many demons pissed off with the powerful demoness. In retrospect, it made sense there was more than one, but the demon that went after Bayonetta was only after her due to turning Alraune into a whip. Granted, that was Rodin's doing, but Bayonetta had kept her around as a weapon to be used outside of Smash. It wouldn't stop this demon from targeting her friends.

This demon was different from the rest. It was a crafty individual that had waited in the shadows gathering information from people around it. From there, it hatched the plan. The fact that this thing had help from a powerful dragon from another universe did not help matters at all.

Bayonetta had noticed something fishy was in the air, but unfortunately, she couldn't do much due to a free for all match that was going to happen soon. The raven haired witch rolled her eyes at how long this was going to take. While a match with her would only last a few minutes, a four player match required more luck than anything else, and she felt she was wasting her time dodging items and getting unlucky with what came out of the Pokéball.

She was going to go up against Shulk, Jigglypuff and Luigi. They weren't going to give her any problems unless they got lucky. The blond wasn't in the best of moods to be participating in a match either. Earlier this morning, he had a terrible vision showing an octopus like demon commanding a legion of Invisible Soldiers and Faceless. Their target were the dragon twins Corrin and Cory who fight them head on without fear. The vision shifts to many of the Smashers coming to help the two, but Corrin ends up being taken hostage during the chaos. Someone could be heard screaming not to shoot. The vision ends with Corrin screaming as a gunshot was heard.

Shulk didn't have enough information at the moment, so he kept to himself yet again. The seer had every intention of telling Bayonetta or Corrin at the very least to avoid the scenario at the end, but he was paranoid of what would occur very soon.

When the four Smashers went inside the machine, the dragon twins had already left feeling something was amiss. If the Smashers were to look outside his or her window, they could see an oddly shaped dimension was showing up in the sky and something was pouring out of it.

Again, Shulk got a vision in the middle of a match after getting knocked out from getting rested by Jigglypuff and he was certain that the tragedy would happen today.

"EVERYONE, SD! SOMETHING IS COMING!" Shulk had suddenly shouted as he jumped off the stage.

Luigi and Jigglypuff were confused at what he was talking about, but the Umbra Witch knew that something was happening and agreed. Master Hand was far from pleased at Shulk giving orders like that, but then he heard Crazy Hand point out something big was happening outside.

"Argh, what now?!" Master Hand had asked as he opened a screen in front of him to see the odd dimension. "What the hell is this?!"

"Looks like a rip to another universe." Crazy answered. "Currently unknown…"

"Shit…we got to close it up. Monsters are coming out…"

The match was over without a second thought. Many of the Smashers were puzzled at the events outside. Shulk had rushed out of the room, but Bayonetta had grabbed him before he could dash away.

"Are you going to tell me what is happening or do I need to beat the information out of you?" She asked darkly.

"N-No time to explain! Where are Corrin and Cory? They're in danger!"

If only Shulk told her sooner, then there might not have been any major casualties…

Outside, the Corrin twins had taken out Yatogami and prepared to take out the Invisible Soldiers who dared step into the realm that was their sanctuary. Cory had ordered Corrin to stay back, so she could do most of the attacking. The male prince was concerned at the sudden surge of enemies. He feared that that man was here to take him back and make him his.

"Which one of you is the ringleader?" Cory hissed as she cut down the soldiers to side relatively easily. "Tell him he'll have to go through me if you want my brother!"

A sinister laugh echoed throughout the area. The dragon prince stayed close to his sister feeling something crawl up his back. There wasn't anything on him, but he was starting to freak out nonetheless.

"That won't be necessary." A deformed voice spoke. "I can easily grab you two and take you both back to your loving father."

Cory was losing her patience and it nearly left herself wide open to an Invisible berserker coming down on her with his axe.

"Sis, watch out!"

Corrin was quick to jump in between them and block the attack successfully. Cory reacted quickly as she transformed her hand into a dragon's mouth and chomped on the opponent that dared to attack her.

At this point, the ringleader revealed himself to the two. Cory had never seen a demon as ugly and deformed as it. While his face was very human like, octopus tentacles were growing out of his head and looked like his hair. His entire body was wrapped in tentacles despite the fact there was a visible brown robe underneath him. He smiled sinisterly as he prepared to attack the dragon twins.

"What the hell are you? A kraken?" Cory questioned as she glanced at her surroundings. They were quickly surrounded despite killing a good amount of them.

"A Mindflayer is the correct term." The demon answered. "I am different from the rest of them. Lord Anankos has given me powers to extract my revenge against one of your friends here if I did his bidding and brought his children back home. Your fieldtrip is over, so it's time to go."

"You're not our parental guardian, and I issued a restraining order already." Cory barked back. "Corrin, get ready to turn around."

"But everyone will…"

"There are too many of them. Flying out of here is a bad idea."

Corrin could only nod his head slowly before leading the way. He had to be the one to cut through the opponents that attempted to block him. His ears twitched hearing the sound of gunfire from a distance.

"Cere!" He exclaimed quite happily.

Cory should have been relieved that help was on the way. Bayonetta was coming, and so were Cloud, Shulk, Pit and a few others. Corrin's heart race hearing the screeching of a powerful dragon coming from above.

"Volga!"

The Mindflayer saw Bayonetta and smiled. She was the one he wanted revenge on, and he was going to get it. The dragon twins were inching ways away from him, but he had demanded that his army kill everyone who got in his way. Only the children of Anankos must not be harmed.

Shulk had quickly used Monado Speed to speed everyone up. It would not take long for Cloud and Bayonetta to reach the dragon twins and cover them. Pit had stayed at a distance with Dark Pit shooting the odd enemies away. Rob was tasked to stay behind only because Shulk didn't want him hurt, but if Chrom, Lucina and Inigo were going to fight, then he would too…but he was stuck as the medic. Robin couldn't fight due to her pregnancy and had to stay behind with Henry.

And then you got Zelda taking out her rapier and hacking away at the enemies, Sheik playing lovely melodies to keep them at bay and Samus getting ready to start pumping out missiles. They needed to be pushed back and Master Hand was giving Smashers like Fox and Falco permission to get in the Arwing to shoot at the dimension rift.

Despite the tables turning, the Mindflayer didn't mind much. He observed how happy Corrin was around his bodyguards. Cloud could be seen ordering Corrin to stand in the back with Rob and to let them handle the rest.

"These enemies aren't your typical ones!" Corrin had exclaimed. "They'll super-duper strong!"

"What have I told you about using cutesy language, darling?" Bayonetta had asked as she patted him on the head gently. "Who do you take us for? Your sister is going to escort us back to that rude octopus. You can either go with the small fry or go with Volga…and I don't think you want to be in the air with him when he's in his foul mood."

The silver haired prince let out a sigh of defeat as he complied. Cloud watched him as he ran toward the male tactician and paired up with him. Now it would be easier for the two to deal damage without leaving themselves wide open.

"Bayonetta…" The Mindflayer started catching her attention only because he projected his voice to her brain only. "Madame Butterfly…you will pay for what you have done to Madam Alraune. I'll be taking the one you hold dear away."

Bayonetta wanted to laugh. Who could have been the most important person to her besides Jeanne? Jeanne would never put herself in that situation ever again. Plus, she wasn't even here, so the threat was pointless. That was what she thought until she saw the Mindflayer dig his tentacles into the ground.

At that moment, Shulk got another vision that showed in clear detail what would happen. Corrin would push Rob out of the way and be grabbed by the tentacle. He would be used as a hostage to get Bayonetta to surrender her pact with Madame Butterfly. She would refuse and attempt to shoot the Mindflayer in the face for even thinking of using a hostage. The bullet would end up hitting Bayonetta though due to the powers the Mindflayer had.

"CORRIN! ROB! GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

Rob smirked after he had unleashed a successful Thoron spell on the Faceless and it disappeared. He was able to clear them out rather easily as long as Corrin continued to block the blows for him. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the moment that he didn't see a purple glow below him. Corrin noticed and pushed him out of the way. That was when the tentacle came out of the ground and grabbed him by the waist.

"GAHHHHHH!"

"CORRIN!"

Rob was too slow to prevent Corrin from being dragged back into the ground. The Mindflayer just laughed as he ordered his soldiers to stop their assault. In his mind, he had won this battle.

"Bayonetta, I would advise you give up that contract with Madame Butterfly. You wouldn't want your most precious person hurt, would you?"

As he said this, Corrin was yanked out of the ground in front of him and held close to the Mindflayer's body. His body was wrapped around nicely by the tentacle like a Christmas present. Corrin couldn't reach for his dragonstone to transform nor could he free himself with the Yatogami. He still held onto his sword, but he needed the demon to let his guard down once.

"CORRIN!" Cory cried out before attempting to charge ahead. "DAMN YOU!"

Cloud had grabbed her arm before she even attempted to foolishly endanger herself and her brother.

"LET ME GO, CLOUD! THIS BASTARD IS DEAD!"

Cloud could only glare at the demon as a response. The other Smashers wanted to follow Cory's lead, but the Mindflayer simply transformed one of his tentacles into a gun and pointed it to the back of the dragon prince's head.

"You can all stop what you're doing. I was tasked to bring this boy back to his father, but he doesn't need him alive. Drop your weapons if you want him to live."

"You demons are all cowards." Pit hissed as he refused to drop his weapon. He refused to shoot toward the crowd though. Looking up, he notice Volga was tempted to just burning the demon like he did with some of the Faceless.

Dark Pit was rather quick to throw his staff away in comparison. As long as he could communicate with Eve, he could come up with a plan. However, the other Smashers realized that Bayonetta simply refused to obey the Mindflayer. Even as Cory planted her sword in the ground fearing for her brother's life, Bayonetta simply loaded her gun and aimed it at the ringleader.

"B-Bayonetta, what are you doing?!" Cory asked. Her voice nearly cracked seeing the cold stare the Umbra Witch was giving. "S-Stop! My brother!"

"You really think I care for a hostage?" Bayonetta asked the Mindflayer. "You have a lot of nerve thinking that would be enough to stop me."

Most demons would be intimidated that taking a hostage wasn't working. Not this one. He only smirked as he tightened his grip around Corrin causing him to cry out in pain. He could see his enemy flinch if only slightly. Her gun was steady and she had no intention to miss her target. Shulk's eyes widened in horror realizing that she was going to shoot and complete the vision.

"Bayonetta, don't shoot!" Shulk screamed. "You're going to miss!"

She took offense to that comment. Since when had she missed her target this close? The only way she could miss was if stray bullets flew around or miss or if her target deliberately stopped time to prevent the bullets from hitting.

"Oh? Do you doubt me too?"

"It's not about doubt! DON'T SHOOT!"

Her pride got the best of her. That was all there was too it. She refused to let everyone see a weakness in her. There was no way Corrin would be the person that would lead to their downfall. She was certain she would hit the Mindflayer straight in the face. Corrin would make it difficult given he was struggling to get free, but she had shot targets before no problem.

There was a problem though. There was an outside force that was controlling the Mindflayer without his realization. That same force that wanted Corrin to himself had his aura powering the Mindflayer. Corrin's eyes widened in horror recognizing the power and wanted to give a warning to Bayonetta. It was too late as she fired the gun. If things went to the Mindflayer's plan, the bullet would have been deflected back at the Umbra Witch should she have hit her target. Corrin had moved in as a defiant act in front of the bullet and took the hit. A horrifying scream echoed and it wasn't from Corrin like shown in Shulk's vision. It was from Cory who saw the bullet go through her twin's head and toward the Mindflayer. He laughed seeing as how there was a reflective barrier around him. With Corrin in the way, he couldn't send it back to the Umbra Witch.

"CORRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN!" Cory scream as purple aura started to form around her hands. "NO!"

Normally, everyone was moving too slow due to Bayonetta constantly activating Witch Time. Now she felt like she was on the receiving end.

How did I…miss?

It wasn't just Cory that had snapped at that moment. Volga did too watching the prince he swore to protect have his head droop like a rag doll. The Mindflayer had every intention of simply taking Corrin and running, but the Star Fox duo had started shooting at the dimension rift with every intention of destroying his escape route. He hissed as he dropped the prince toward the ground and hastened his retreat with his soldiers. They wouldn't be able to follow him though given Cory had literally slammed through anything that was in her way to get to her brother. Volga attempted to burn the Mindflayer and make takoyaki out of him.

"Bayonetta, oh Bayonetta…you should have dropped your weapon when you had the chance. Good luck with your ragdoll if he does recover from that."

Some of that dark energy had entered into Corrin's body before the Mindflayer retreated. Volga and Cory attempted to combine their fire and water attacks to hit him, but an invisible forced had protected him thus allowing him to escape. Fox had looked at his radar and the dimension rift was no longer there.

Cloud wasted no time rushing toward Cory. She roared when she saw him and attempted to claw at him. Cloud easily blocked with his buster sword.

"Cory, calm down! We have to treat him now!"

Unlike her brother, she didn't need Azura's song to calm her. She could very well talk, but it didn't mean she was going to transform back into her human form anytime soon. Cloud was very quick with moving Corrin to see if he was still alive. He was surprised that despite the bullet wound, the dragon prince was alive if only barely.

"I need your help here!" Cloud shouted at the Smashers (particularly Rob who could work his magic to keep Corrin alive while they got him professional treatment). "Pit, get your Goddess, NOW!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

Cloud snarled at Bayonetta who walked closer to him and tried to play it off like she didn't just put him in this situation. The main problem was gone, but there was a casualty. It was Cory who had stood in between Corrin and Bayonetta and snapped at the older woman.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BITCH! IF HE DIES, I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

There was no retort from Bayonetta. She couldn't insult the dragon princess back after that though. How could she? If Corrin dies, it was all on her…

"Cory, please…" Cloud hissed.

"DIRTY BROTHER KILLER! I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOU NEAR HIM, YOU WITCH! GET YOUR FILTHY GUNS AWAY FROM HIM!"

And there was no way for Cory to calm down either. One had to wonder how long she would remain a dragon before she let her instincts take over…

Notes:

Me: TBC with 3721 words. Notes!

1. The Mindflayer is a combination of the one from Dungeon and Dragons plus the obvious Monster Girl one. Since they communicate telepathically, but I needed him to speak, I had the face be human shaped with tentacles growing out of his head. The rest of the body is also covered in tentacles, but can easily be covered by a robe.

2. So basically, I implied that Anankos' interference would have killed Bayonetta. What she wouldn't expect is how powerful Anankos is. Handling two Gods is one thing, but Anankos would have taken her off guard. Corrin was aware of his presence and put himself in harm's way to save her. Now he's most likely going to be fucked over mentally.

Chapter 2: What's my Age Again?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hours passed after the shooting. Pit wasted no time in reporting the incident to Palutena. The Goddess of Light would not be able to do whatever she wanted with Corrin seeing as how Master Hand was awaiting for an update concerning the rip in the dimension. Once he found out Corrin was going to die based on what he was told, the right hand wasted no time in taking charge. He demanded that Corrin be taken to Smash Hospital to be treated. Dr. Mario's treatment was simply not going to help in this situation. Corrin might have had a bullet in his head for all they knew. Something like that could not be healed by simple magic either whether it was from Rob or Rosalina. An actual doctor needed to deal with that even though some of the doctors in Smash Hospital had healing hands.

Out of all the doctors, Master Hand tended to rely on Gabriel Cunningham the most to give information to. He was the diagnostic doctor, so in Master Hand's logic, he was the most observant of the bunch and would be able to notice things that others had before handing the patient off to other doctors based on the symptoms he found.

Dr. Cunningham wasn't exactly a nice guy. In fact, people considered him a jerk. He wasn't exactly a team player although he did learn to look with specific doctors over time. Smash Brothers Realm kind of gave him an excuse to be aloof though. The pay in the Smash Brothers Realm was extraordinary, but the work was harder given all the chaos that happens in this realm.

Master Hand had used his powerful magic to warp himself and Corrin to Smash Hospital. If the other Smashers wanted to follow him, they would either ask Crazy Hand or Palutena to teleport them to the destination. Gabriel should have been used to random meetings with magical beings at this point. He wasn't much for the supernatural, but there were times when he asked if he was in a dream or not when he saw a big white hand hovering in the air with a bloodied boy in front of him. Master Hand would revert to his human form that would catch the injured the prince, but that still didn't detract from the whole magic aspect of it.

"I apologize for a sudden appearance, but I need the hospital's health." Master Hand said quickly. "One of my fighters has been critically injured outside of combat. He needs treatment immediately."

The image was not pretty. Poor Corrin clearly had a bullet in his head, but he was still alive despite that. Had it not been for the fact he was a dragon, it would have already been too late. Dr. Cunningham would have to get the doctors best fit for the task, but if they were already operating on someone else, then this could spell trouble. Just from the looks of things, he needed CR-S01 as the surgeon. He would most likely need to ask Hank Freebird to assist the young surgeon on this difficult task.

"Honestly, what the hell happened to allow a kid to end up in this state?" Gabe asked. "You know very well that incidents like these will be made public if operating on the kid fails."

"I am not asking you to operate on Corrin. I demand you to operate on him." Master Hand told him darkly. "Again, I apologize for a last minute patient, but you need to help him now."

Dr. Cunningham really had no say in the matter and had requested Master Hand to place the poor kid in the emergency room. He made quick work with demanding CR-S01 and Hank to meet with him in the emergency room where he would give them a rundown on the patient that needed priority. While this was happening, Smashers were being warped in front of Smash Hospital. If Gabriel had to estimate, he would assume that half the mansion was warped to check up on Corrin. They were just in the way and he made it clear that he didn't want them in his way when the operation started. CR-S01 was quick to respond as was Hank, so the operation would begin soon.

The problem was that Gabriel could not guarantee Corrin's life without the exact details of what happened. He just knew that the bullet needed to be extracted from his head and that they needed to find a way to stop the bleeding. If they couldn't do this, Corrin was as good as dead. It would take a miracle to save the dragon prince, but CR-S01 is a surgeon they could rely on to save him. Master Hand had no problem having him be the surgeon for this operation.

The diagnostic doctor requested that the Smashers stay away from the emergency room and wait. If they had things to do, he suggested they leave since it was going to take a while. When the operation was done, they would break the news to them. This was to prevent them from trying to come into the emergency room with their magic and possibly make it worse. Dr. Cunningham saw the look on Palutena's face when he brought it up and chose to ignore it before dismissing himself.

The only reason Palutena got brought up in the conversation was because of her divine powers. There were questions about Palutena's ability to revive the dead. As the Goddess of Light, she had done this to Pit plenty of times when he got finished off in battle. She should have been able to deal with the situation instead of relying on Master Hand's idea, but things were not so simple.

"I cannot revive anyone I have no information on." The Goddess of Light admitted. "If I was careless with resurrection spells, I would end up with an undead army like Hades. If I don't do the spell correctly, then that person might end up worse off than they already are…"

"But you've known me for over 2000 years." Pit brought up as a matter of fact statement. "I guess that explains why you can bring me back to life so quickly."

"…Wouldn't that make you a fraudulent Goddess then?" Cloud asked darkly.

"Hey, don't insult Lady Palutena!"

"It's fine Pit. I might as well be fraudulent if I don't have the correct information. Cory, are you going to tell us about you and your brother? I have nothing on the universe you two are from. The only thing I got from Chrom is how you're just a fairy tale realm."

Cory glared at her as a response.

"I take that as a no?" Palutena questioned.

"There's nothing to tell." Cory answered.

"If the magic from your universe works differently, then things could end up poorly if I try to help Corrin."

"You know, that attitude hasn't been winning you favors, darling." The green haired Goddess suddenly mocked. Cory's temper was threatening to flare up with the tone Palutena was using. "Ever since you and Corrin came to this world, you two have your mouths shut about your universe. Why is that? Something you don't want to tell us? Think we can't be trusted?"

"If either of us spoke of our world, we would be killed instantly." Cory snarled. "It's not a matter of whether we can trust anyone here or not. That man…he knows where we are…his curse reaches even this realm and it will kill us…"

Palutena found that hard to believe. Pit didn't in comparison seeing as how the villain that was after the dragon twins was able to create a huge rift in the Smash Brothers Realm. Was he strong enough to kill Cory though if she even whispered a hint about her world? Perhaps the dragon twins didn't want to risk it.

"…But even if I could tell you…" Cory continued. "There isn't any spell that can completely revive someone from the dead. Corrin has the staff that can revive someone from the dead, but it's too dangerous for even him to use. Corrin might end up creating a Vallite…"

"A what?"

Cory shut her mouth after that. She folded her arms in frustration as she avoided eye contact with the Goddess of Light.

"…All I can do is pray for my brother if I cannot give you the information needed to ensure that he will stay alive…"

It was strange for the dragon princess to sound so defeated. Perhaps snapping at the Umbra Witch legitimately wore her out. Cloud was fine with this seeing as how she needed to conserve her strength, but what would happen if she were to transform into a dragon? If things worsened, there might not be any hope for Cory's sanity.

Bayonetta's mood would only worsen with the appearance of Corrin's other friends arriving. Only a selective few Smashers could crowd in front of the door to the emergency room. Cloud had ordered Volga to tell Snow White and Axel about what happened to the dragon prince. It was better for them to know immediately than to be kept in the dark. Volga wasn't exactly too sure that Snow White should be informed and for good reasons. The moment she and Axel showed up was the moment she had rushed over to Bayonetta and started screaming her face.

"What happened to Lord Corrin?! What did you do to him?!"

Of course Snow White would blame the Umbra Witch. Bayonetta had no time to argue with the Princess of the Apple Kingdom. She was too much of a hassle to deal with.

"Snow, calm down! You can't be making a scene here!" Axel called out to her.

"Calm down? How can I?! This witch is the reason he's going to die!"

"He's not going to die! Have faith!"

"If he dies, then I will have your head, you heartless witch you! I knew you were nothing but trouble!"

Bayonetta had no comeback to Snow White's words. Instead, she slowly nodded her head as if acknowledging it was her fault before ignoring her completely. The Umbra Witch's silence was out of character. Nobody paid heed to the woman who put Corrin in critical condition, but it would have been worth noting. The raven haired witch could only ask herself why Corrin would put himself in harm's way. She was certain that she would have hit the demon had Corrin not moved his head. The dragon prince would have known to not move, so why did he do it? Shulk did warn her to not shoot, but she let her arrogance get in the way.

The bullet should not have hit Corrin… Bayonetta thought darkly to herself. If he just stayed still then I would have saved him…there's no way I would have missed…

The only thing she could think of was what Cory had said. The enemy was clearly after her and her brother. If Bayonetta had information on this villain from their world, perhaps she could pay him a visit and deliver swift justice to him. Cory remained adamant on not talking about him. If "dying instantly from speaking about him" were a thing for the dragon twins, then she would rather keep quiet than risk Corrin and her life. Maybe that was why Corrin needed to take action.

"Corrin, you fool…" Bayonetta whispered to herself. No one would be able to hear her though due to the sobbing and shouting that exited their lips.


Most of the Smashers were unable to stay in the hospital all night. Dr. Cunningham expected them to leave seeing as how they would block the hallway and make it harder for the other doctors to take care of their other patients. As cruel as his words were, it was clear that the Smashers needed to pray for Corrin to return to them. They just couldn't do it behind the door Corrin was behind. Only a few Smashers were allowed to stay but that was only if they were willing to be their all night.

The only people who decided to remain outside the room and pray for the dragon prince were the people that cared for Corrin the most. Cory would never leave her brother's side and Cloud thought the same way. Volga, Snow White and Axel would also remain. Bayonetta reluctantly stayed due to feeling responsible for Corrin's condition. She didn't feel like interacting with the others though and kept to herself. Axel had noticed that she was very distant…more distant than she had ever been.

The Umbra Witch would eventually have to excuse herself from the hallway for "fresh air". Bayonetta just couldn't handle the suffocating nature of situation and really did need a chance to calm herself. Like a fool, Axel decided to follow after her thinking she needed a companion to talk to.

"Bayonetta, are you okay?" Axel asked her in a worried tone. "You seem down."

"What makes you think that?" Bayonetta asked darkly. She clearly wasn't in the mood for the music demon to be speaking to her. Axel thought otherwise.

"Hey, no need to be snappy." The blond demon said while rolling his eyes. "I was just checking up on you. I know Snow White yelled at you and you're getting the evil eye, but clearly something happened to garner that hate?"

It was justified in all sense of the word. It didn't mean Bayonetta enjoyed the animosity she was receiving. She should be happy that Axel wasn't completely aware of what happened compared to Snow White who just blamed her for everything that would go wrong with Corrin.

"I'm the reason Corrin is like this." The Overseer of Darkness murmured. "My aim was off…and I shot him instead of that mindflayer…"

"Mindflayer?"

"…A stupid octopus that took Corrin hostage…if Corrin just didn't move his head when I fired the shot…the idiot would still be with us."

Bayonetta was talking like the silver haired prince was dead. Axel was concerned in a sense. Did she care that Corrin was going to die if he didn't survive the night?

"You should have more faith in Corrin." Axel told her. "He's strong."

"I asked to hear your side of the story, but you're going to act like the villain here I see…"

The Umbra Witch rolled her eyes. Axel could be observant if he wanted to be. "How ironic that a demon is telling me to have hope in a situation like this."

"But you know better than anyone that Corrin is strong. You like him because of that."

"What."

Axel should not have suggested that to Bayonetta out of the blue. Granted, she didn't completely register what he said, but once she put two and two together, she would have sent him to Inferno right there. The blond made some pathetic whining noises before he dismissed himself.

…Did he just suggest that I have a crush on Corrin? Absurd.

Bayonetta would give herself a little more time to herself before finally entering the hospital again. She wasn't in any rush to make it back to the group though. She did want to avoid another confrontation with them if they were going to ask what took her so long.


Luck would be on Corrin's side after all. It was the one thing that Cory could rely on. Even if his backstory proved otherwise, Corrin was born lucky. His kidnapping as a child may have been seen as unlucky, but compared to Cory who suffered from some physical abuse if she were to disobey Garon, the worse that happened to Corrin was starvation. The dragon prince was still able to maintain his innocence despite the mental abuse (even if it hurt him mentally). Regardless, his luck shined more than it did with Cory whether it was in Smash or in battle back in their world. This was just another case where something that should have killed Corrin didn't and the dragon prince would soon wake up.

Tomoe Tachibana was the doctor tasked with looking after him the night before. CR-S01 and Hank were allowed to take a break after getting Corrin out of critical condition. The people outside of the room had fallen asleep at that point, so they were able to sneak by without waking them. Tomoe was surprised that CR-S01 pulled another miracle operation and saved the silver haired prince. When Corrin started to wake up, she was quick to rush out and warn everyone that their friend was saved and was waking up from his slumber.

Cory clearly did not sleep that night, but the moment she was told her twin brother was okay, she was quick to wake up and push past the endoscopic surgeon. Cloud warned Cory that she clearly should not be treating the doctor with disrespect so early in the morning, but the dragon princess needed to see her brother was in one piece.

"I'll be getting Dr. Cunningham!" Tomoe exclaimed. "Please, don't do anything that could put Corrin's life in jeopardy."

Cloud didn't think that Cory would keep her advice seeing as how she was too busy calling her brother's name. Heck, even if Tomoe told Cory and the others to stay outside until the main doctor arrived, Cory still would have ignored her and went inside. Volga, Snow White and Axel would force themselves into the room once Tomoe left the hallway. Cloud and Bayonetta were the last ones to enter simply because the blond was expecting the Umbra Witch to walk in front of him. She wanted to be in the back for obvious reasons.

"Corrin! It's me! Can you see me? Corrin!"

"Uhhhh…Cory?"

Cory wanted to cry. Her brother was okay in her eyes. Corrin's red eyes had no color in them at the moment, but he could clearly recognize his sister's voice. He stared in her direction and gave a weak smile.

"C-Cory…is that you…what happened…where am I?"

"Oh thank the Gods you're okay! Corrin!" The silver haired princess sobbed as she ignored the fact Corrin was strapped to a few of the medical tools in the room and embraced him. If his heart rate started to go up and he collapsed, she would be the one to blame.

"Cory…don't…cry…" Corrin mumbled. "I'm fine…but…what happened…I can't…remember…"

When the dragon prince tried to recall the incident, a huge headache overcame him causing the Nohrian prince to groan in pain. Cory thought her hug was the reason for the pain and stopped immediately.

"Don't stress yourself! It's going to be okay! I'm here! We're all here!"

"…We?"

Snow White was pleased to see the dragon prince was okay and was the next one to hug him to Cory's annoyance. Axel wanted to join in for the group hug, but Corrin's next words shocked him and everyone in the room.

"…Who are you?" Corrin asked the white haired princess completely catching her off guard.

"…Excuse me?" She asked rather offended that he would ask such a question.

"Who are you?" Corrin repeated. "I don't…recognize anyone here besides Cory…"

"…This is a bad time for jokes." Snow White hissed. "I'm the princess of the Apple Kingdom…the one you saved."

"I…did?" Corrin questioned before feeling his head hurt again. "I'm sorry…I don't remember you at all…"

There was a long pause. Corrin must have clearly been telling a joke. Snow White laughed nervously as she released her grip on him.

"You got a lot of nerve Lord Corrin…" Snow White muttered. "You can't just remember Cory and not remember me."

"But…I don't know anyone here…" The dragon prince muttered. He clutched his head almost immediately. "I…"

"Corrin, bro…you need to stop making a joke!" Axel said with a nervous chuckle. "You can't forget the Dark Hero, Axel…right?"

Corrin shook his head. "N-No…"

"Oh…I know I'm forgettable…but you can't forget Cloud or Cereza, right? They're your best friends!"

"Who the hell is Cereza…" Corrin grumbled darkly.

That really stung for the Umbra Witch. Why was her name muttered with such animosity? She took a step back without realizing it. Cloud noticed the horrified expression she had on her face that no one else bothered to see. They were too focused on the revelation that Corrin may have lost his memories of them. Volga would not accept this.

"Master Corrin, you cannot forget me." He growled as he pushed past Axel to get up in Corrin's face. The dragon prince gasped seeing the fire dragon before him. "You cannot forget the dragon you disgraced in combat and forced me to serve you."

"N-No…I don't remember…"

"Must you mock me like you mock the woman you intend to mate with?"

Corrin clearly had no idea what Volga was talking about. All he knew was his body was trembling, his heart was racing and he was feeling very light-headed. Yes, the migraine was painful, but now he was on the verge of collapse. Cold sweat threatened to fall down his forehead especially when Volga reached out and grabbed his arm…the one that was connected to that machine that Volga clearly did not know the name of.

"Master Corrin, you are a dragon prince that swore to learn the ways of the dragon. You will not forget your vow!"

"S-Stop shouting…" Corrin mumbled. "It hurts…"

"Volga, let my brother go!" Cory shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!"

The fire dragon ignored Cory and the others in the room as he started shaking Corrin's body in a futile attempt to get him to remember him. The dragon prince responded by suddenly screaming and shouting for Volga to leave him alone. The screaming came at a bad time when Dr. Cunningham returned to check up on him. The room was already a mess with Cory and Cloud shouting at Volga to stop what he was doing. Axel was nearly blown back when he tried to stop the fire dragon from hurting the dragon prince seeing as how he wasn't exactly the strongest person in the room. Bayonetta refused to do anything and just stood there and watch the scene unfold. She noticed the diagnostic doctor first and scowled as a response.

"This is not something you woke up to…I know." Bayonetta snarked to Gabriel who was far from impressed with how it only took a few minutes for things to go to hell.

Dr. Cunningham had to pull Corrin's group out of the room even if it was a difficult task. Cloud did not want to be that person getting in the way between Volga and Corrin, but the fire dragon was clearly making things worse. Volga simply did not understand that perhaps being aggressive to someone who just woke up would cause them to have a panic attack. However, it was strange for Corrin to freak out at the sight of Volga's hands.

I guess I'll have to ask RONI to run a test on the kid soon. Dr. Cunningham grumbled to himself. However, I think it's clear what he's suffering just from that reaction.

The British doctor needed the odd group to cooperate with him if they wanted to get information out of him. Volga took some time to calm down simply because he refused to accept that Corrin could not remember who he was. Cory had only calmed herself when the Nohrian prince clearly knew who she was upon waking up. Snow White was showing how good her negotiation skills were with being able to calm the Dragon Knight down. Volga would eventually lower his voice due to her calming words. She wasn't exactly happy with the look the fire dragon was giving her though.

"So, are you going to explain what the hell happened to Corrin?" Cloud asked. He clearly wasn't in the mood for a sick joke as Corrin not remembering who his friends were.

"I will need to run a diagnostic test on the kid to make sure, but I think it's apparent that he's suffering from a severe case of memory loss."

This should not have come off as a surprise. Should someone survive a bullet to the head, one would think there would be permanent damage to the brain. In this universe, it was difficult to tell if that would still apply. In Smash battle, fighters have had suffered worse injuries that were not permanent due to the battle system. Outside of Smash was a very different story. Not all the Smashers seemed to realize that there needed to be a handicap in fear of actually hurting those weaker fighters. Bayonetta was one of the stronger fighters, so she should have known she could have caused something like this. The raven haired witch remained silent as Dr. Cunningham continued speaking.

"It might be a case of selective memory loss though. I need more data to be able to confirm it. However, it is surprising that the kid still remembers his sister of all people."

"…We're not related." Cory corrected with a sigh. "We may refer to each other as brother and sister and share the same blood…but we are an only child in our world."

The diagnostic doctor could clearly not give a shit about Cory correcting him. He wasn't interested in complicated timelines or anything revolving magic (despite this is what he signed up for when asked to come to the Smash Brothers Realm).

"Whatever…the point is that it's a miracle that Corrin survived with the only thing gone is his memory. I need to keep him around for a little while to see if it's possible to regain his memory. My hypothesis though is that his memories are most likely gone for good." Dr. Cunningham shook his head in annoyance. "This place is filled with unpredictable things that could happen, but I'm certain that the bullet used to shoot him is the most likely reason he won't regain his memory back."

Bayonetta was at a loss of words at this point. Corrin lost his memories because of her and the probability of him getting his memories back was near zero. Cloud was probably the only Smasher who noticed how pale the Umbra Witch was when Dr. Cunningham told it as it was. She forced herself to keep a stone-cold face even though it was clear she was visibly disturbed. The blond wondered if she would break down in tears if she were alone, but he believed that she wouldn't give into her despair.

"If you want to go back into the room, make sure you properly reintroduce yourselves without giving the kid a scare. I don't need him having a heart attack because you all decided to do your usual greetings with him when he had his memories intact."

Those words stung. Bayonetta wondered if she would be able to even greet Corrin knowing full well that he no longer remembered her.

While Dr. Cunningham was talking to Corrin's group about Corrin's situation and reporting to Master Hand of Corrin's condition, the dragon prince had finally managed to calm himself down in the room. The silver haired prince received a terrible migraine while doing so. It really was odd for him to only remember his sister but for everyone else in his mind to be nothing but a foggy memory. Corrin felt like he knew who everyone was, but he just couldn't match names to faces or recall what he has done with them to warrant any sort of affection. The Dragon Knight was clearly someone important to him, but so was the Umbra Witch.

These people are not worth remembering.

Corrin's eyes widened in horror as he glanced around the room. There was no one in the room with him. Everyone was outside still talking about his situation.

Stop your pointless attempt at trying to remember them. It will only hurt you in the end.

"W-Who are you?" Corrin asked out loud.

I am of no concern. What matters is for you to remember your purpose.

"My…purpose?"

Yes. Your memories are hazy, but soon…you will learn of the correct path that was destined for you…soon…very soon…

Notes:

Me: TBC with 5474 words. Notes!

1. I had to do my research on the Trauma Team doctors to make sure that CR-S01 was allowed to operate on the head. The treatment of the head (and neck) is called otorhinolaryngology and surgeons do take part in this. I had Hank be the support for CR-S01 simply because he was the orthopedic doctor and would handle the situation more calmly due to how young the patient is.

2. The hallway isn't that big for every single Smasher to be in front of the emergency room, so unless specifically stated, you can imagine the group of Smashers in front of the door. Some Smashers do have to make sure there are no stray demons and have to do research on the rift that appeared in the sky after all.

3. Snow is from Queen's Blade Grimoire. You can google her image of to get a reminder of who she is. In this universe, she isn't in her kingdom due to researching potential fighters for the Queen's Blade. She works at Smash Library. I felt that reminding her of her appearance would ruin the pacing of the scene, so I do hope you guys take a look at her appearance.

4. Axel is from the Disgaea series. Anyone who has read my Disgaea fics knows he's the main character of the first timeline. Axel's appearance in my Smash universe is long overdue. He may be an egotistical jerk at times, but he's a rather caring individual and rather sharp (which the game gives him no credit for).

5. The consequences of Corrin's loss of memories (as well of an explanation) will be revealed with time. Just know now that he can only remember Cory and a few other details from his world, but the fact he forgot Volga is a dragon should hint how bad the memory loss is. The voice that is talking to Corrin will be revealed in due time as well. It's not a good thing.

Chapter 3: Only a Memory Away

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

News spread fast in Smashopolis about Corrin and his condition. The commentators were a blessing and a curse. They were quick with the updates, but sometimes they jumped to conclusion without fact checking. When one of the commentators was a wraith who could faze in and faze out without anyone noticing him, it was easy to get the secret data out to the public for views.

There was a problem when Cosine was the one who got the information first. He was so quick to slander certain fighters that he did not like. Bayonetta was on his list of "Smashers he hated with a passion", and it mainly had to do with how Bayonetta had no problem slaughtering demons as well as angels. If she was supposed to be an angel slayer, why would she even work with Pit? Complaints aside, this was a good opportunity to bash the Umbra Witch. Why? Because the Smashers were already blaming Bayonetta for Corrin's predicament.

Bayonetta was just supposed to just stand there and allow the news to slander her name again. She would have made a complaint to Master Hand about it, but he clearly was not in the mood to talk to her given what happened with the dragon prince. Give it a few days and the heat she was receiving would die down. Until then, Bayonetta would probably be traveling around Smashopolis as either a crow or a panther. If she didn't want to be an animal, she would simply walk through Purgatorio to avoid confronting anyone. Angels and demons would still see her, but the ordinary citizen wouldn't be able to gaze in her direction. She was fine with that. She couldn't stand judgmental people anyway.

So now that Bayonetta was being "shunned" by the public for causing Corrin's memory loss, the Umbra Witch would have to find a way to visit Corrin without getting detected. People will be on the lookout for her, so she doesn't make things worse. In the back of her mind, she wanted to see people try and stop her from seeing her friend. Corrin was important to her no matter what the news said.

What the raven haired witch needed to do was find someone to talk to. After Corrin woke up, everyone had to leave the hospital. It was clear that no one would be able to visit Corrin personally except Cory and Master Hand. Everyone else would just make things worse. However, Bayonetta did wonder if Cloud would be allowed in over her once friends were allowed to visit. That was who she was going to search for.

It didn't take long to find Cloud. He had stayed in Smashopolis even after being forced to leave the hospital. When Corrin's group broke up temporarily after this morning, Cloud went straight to the park to clear his mind. He had wanted to remain with Cory, but she wanted to be alone. The ex-SOLDIER was forced to give her space. In the meantime, Cloud was quick to let his mind wander to Corrin's condition. Was there a way to save him?

There were other Smashers that gathered at the park later on in the day. While Cloud stayed at the park all morning except when he had to get something to eat or use the restroom, the other Smashers went to the park for the same reason as Cloud. Smash Park usually had more energy around it. Because of the news, there didn't seem to be that many people hanging out. Perhaps the tragedy caused everything to be so somber.

The Smashers that were with Cloud were Rob and Shulk. This should not have been a surprise to Bayonetta. Those two were inseparable and it wasn't because they were roommates. The Umbra Witch could tease them on how cute they were as a couple, but Rob didn't like being put on the spot. In a sense, Bayonetta was similar to Rob seeing as how she hated her relationship with Corrin being questioned. It's why she wasn't vocal with teasing Rob.

"It's all my fault…" The Umbra Witch could hear Rob complaining to Shulk and Cloud. "If I didn't put myself in harm's way…then Corrin wouldn't…"

"It's not your fault." Shulk told him. Bayonetta thought that it was an automatic response that Shulk had whenever the male tactician blamed himself for anything. "It was mine…I should have seen that coming in my vision, but…"

"Why do you two blame each other?" Cloud asked them with a huge scowl on his face. "What happened, happened…and what you didn't do isn't going to change that."

Rob shook his head at Cloud's words. "That demon targeted me…he knew Corrin would react. If I had been paying attention…"

"Blaming yourself now won't change anything." Cloud repeated. "We're better off chasing after that demon and getting revenge. Before we can do that, we need information on his whereabouts. Sitting here moping about what ifs aren't going to change anything…I should know."

Of course Cloud would know. He went through this same phase for a few years after Aerith's death. Corrin wasn't even dead, so there was some hope left to restore his memories. Right now, there wasn't enough information to jump to conclusion. They needed to start with stopping the mindflayer before he returned to attack a weakened Corrin or even Cory. He made it clear they were his targets.

"Right…sorry…" Rob mumbled. "I should spend my time being more productive."

"Rob, it is okay to vent every now and then." Shulk reminded him. His soft voice caused Rob to smile slightly. "I'm here for you. We're all here for you."

"Mainly you Shulk." Cloud joked causing Shulk to give Cloud a confused expression before blushing at the implication. "I think I'll let you two lovebirds alone while I take a few minutes to do something…important."

The tactician and the Homs could only assume what Cloud meant with those words. Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously before dismissing himself for a few minutes. Bayonetta used this opportunity to snatch him up.

Cloud was not at all surprised when the area around him started to change. Everyone he was talking to became a silhouette of sorts. Only angels and demons would be able to see him now, but Cloud was certain that if Rob and Shulk turned around on the bench, they would be able to see him with the Umbra Witch.

"Bayonetta, you could have just asked to speak to me alone." Cloud grumbled.

"The voices here are too loud. It's nice to just speak to you alone." The Umbra Witch hummed. She tried her best to maintain a positive attitude despite the news just hitting. Cloud wasn't fooled.

"Alright, what do you need? It must be important enough that you are willing to drag me to Purgatorio."

"Cloud, you have enough magic to survive in here. You won't die." Bayonetta explained before she got to the point. "And I just wanted an update on what Master Hand and the other Smashers are doing. I needed to avoid the paparazzi if you know what I mean."

The ex-SOLDIER rolled his eyes at this statement. "If it isn't apparent, Master Hand is going to give Cosine a good scolding for reporting on confidential information so soon. That jerk can't hide that he was the one that got the information."

Bayonetta frowned as a result. "I rather have him slandering me than Dante…"

"Oh yeah, I forget Dante is a commentator…sometimes."

Now it was Bayonetta's time to roll her eyes. "So, what will you be doing if Master Hand isn't keeping tabs on us?"

"Well, once Rob stops feeling sorry for himself, we were all going to go to the library and meet up with Snow White. We're going to try and do research on that weird rift. From what little information we got from Cory, we know that this man that is chasing after her and Corrin is able to travel through time and space. If we can learn from the books in the library, we should be able to help them."

But they clearly don't want our help. Bayonetta thought darkly to herself. Why else wouldn't they tell anyone about the sudden attack?

"Zelda's group is researching from the mansion. My group is going to be at Smash Library. A few other Smashers are going to be helping us. I just wish Cory came along with us so she can get her mind off of the accident."

Cloud was probably going to be one of the few Smashers that referred to the shooting as an accident. Bayonetta should be relieved Cloud wouldn't treat her poorly despite that poorly made decision.

"A woman needs her space, Mr. Moody." The Umbra Witch teased as she gave him one of her trademark winks. Cloud avoided eye contact rather quickly.

"Y-Yeah…but you should come with me to the library. I'll keep you out of trouble and get rid of anyone who gives you a hard time."

At least Cloud was thinking about Bayonetta's mental state. No one else was and was already on the side of "she shot Corrin on purpose since she's heartless".

"Sorry, Mr. Moody. I have other things to do than have my head in the books."

"…Are you going to try and visit Corrin? That's kind of ill advised. I mean, if you get caught, you're never going to hear the end of it from Master Hand."

"I'll be fine."

"…If another Smasher catches you though…"

"It won't happen…I just need to check to see if the kid is okay." Bayonetta clenched her first when she said that. "I just need…a better look at him…"

"Suit yourself. Don't expect me to help you if you get in trouble. I may be your friend, but I know what you want to do is just as stupid as your pride."

"I'm aware of that…" The Umbra Witch grumbled. "I'll take you back to the main realm now. Rob and Shulk are waiting for you to return from your potty break."

Cloud's cheeks turned red just slightly. He let out a huge sigh as he murmured something under his breath about how Bayonetta worded that sentence. He allowed her to let him leave Purgatorio. He was rather surprised at how loud things became once that happened. The ex-SOLDIER could still feel Bayonetta's presence right in front of him, but it would be gone almost immediately. Knowing he wouldn't see her until later on today…assuming she didn't get in trouble.

Despite Cloud's warning, Bayonetta was still going to visit Corrin. Yes, researching Corrin's world was a good idea, but the dragon prince came first before learning about the villain from his realm. Cloud wouldn't be all that surprised if Bayonetta decided to head over to Smash Hospital instead of Smash Library. Regardless, Bayonetta wanted to be stealthy about where she was going. Once she allowed Cloud to leave Purgatorio, Bayonetta quickly used Panther Within to turn into a panther and rush off in the direction of the hospital. Once she was near the entrance of the hospital, she would shift back into human form and then use Crow Within to get where she wanted.

Cloud doesn't seem to understand that I will disobey Master Hand if I do not agree with his reasoning. Bayonetta thought grimly to herself. Now to check up on Corrin…


While everyone was doom and gloom for Corrin, the dragon prince at least was showing an attempt to try and regain his memory. Dr. Cunningham waited for Corrin to finish eating before he returned. Gabriel needed Corrin to answer some questions to confirm how bad the memory loss was and if it was natural. In Dr. Cunningham's mind, Corrin should be dead, dragon or not. From doing his research, the bullet Bayonetta used to fight was a magic bullet that would be lethal to anyone who was shot in the head. If memories were all that was lost then the diagnostic doctor needed to learn from Corrin himself what he was made up to allow a miracle to happen.

The problem with running through a simple questionnaire though was that there would be either a lot of vague answers or a simple "I don't know". The latter was more common for the silver haired prince who struggled to come up with a good answer that would satisfy the doctor. Gabriel could see that the Nohrian prince was trying his damn hardest to remember anything from his world. Besides his sister, everything was a blank and Cory wasn't going to open her mouth for important information anytime soon.

When questions about Corrin's past didn't work, Dr. Cunningham went to asking questions about Smash Brothers. To his horror, Corrin drew a blank there as well. It was of a bigger concern because he seemed to lack the knowledge of who he was and how he fought in the tournament.

"This is worse than I thought…" Dr. Cunningham muttered. "Your lack of knowledge about your sword and your heritage makes me think that you're not ready to return to the tournament life."

"What…I…"

"If you can't even remember turning into a dragon…"

"I'm…a dragon?"

Dr. Cunningham sighed at this. "Yes. You are a very scary dragon that needs a dragonstone to turn into one. You have the features on your body to prove it."

Corrin needed a mirror for a confirmation. Fortunately, there was a mirror in the hospital for people who have fallen into a coma and woken up years later. Corrin needed it to see his pointy ears as well as his red eyes. Red eyes were not natural and while humans like CR-S01 had red eyes, it helped drive the diagnostic doctor's point home.

"…Was the man I screamed at also a dragon?" Corrin asked with a shaky voice.

"Yes. Unlike you, he is a full blooded dragon with human features. To be scared of another dragon when you are one is rather ironic if you ask me."

"…I…see…" Corrin frowned as he tried to remember why exactly he had dragon blood in the first place. Was one of his parent's a dragon? If so, who was it? Corrin wanted to know, but when he tried to pry deep into his mind, he felt a mental block that caused his head to spin.

"You're thinking too hard now." Dr. Cunningham told him. "You might be a loss cause at the moment, but you do need to take it easy. It's not everyday you survive a bullet to the head."

"Oh…"

"You need to stay away from the person who caused it." The stern doctor added. "She has caused you nothing but distress at the moment."

"Umm…who…umm…her name…I…"

Dr. Cunningham chose to not say her name. He felt like Bayonetta was the last person he should remember if she's the one who put him in this situation to begin with.

"You don't need to remember her now. You should focus on your sister and regaining your fighting prowess first." Dr. Cunningham told his patient harshly. "Your sister is your family and the key to regaining your memory, and I'm being paid by Master Hand to fix you up. If you can't fight, then that looks bad on him."

Corrin nodded his head in agreement. If he was told he was a fighter, then he must relearn the ways of the warrior. He was apparently a sword fighter in this Smash tournament from what information he got. The Nohrian prince just needed to hold onto the blade again and hope he remembered everything.

"How long will it be until I can get out of bed?"

"I give it a few days. You are not well to be walking around. I need to watch you carefully before I give the okay. If you survived a bullet to the head, I believe you can walk on your own soon. However, I will make sure that your sister is assigned to you. She is the only one in your memories at the moment."

Again, the dragon prince nodded his head. Gabriel groaned staring at the young prince. He really did think his memories were gone for good, but he still couldn't confirm that when anything was possible in this realm. At the moment, he needed to speak to RONI and get an opinion from her before he decided on his next move.

"I will be right back." Dr. Cunningham began as he got up from the seat he was currently sitting in. "Do not even think of leaving. You need time to relax, so don't try and remember that witch or anyone that has caused you problems. Every time you do, you'll get a migraine."

Corrin was aware of that, but it didn't mean it would stop him from trying. Once the lead doctor left the room, the silver haired prince focused on trying to recall who the witch was. Why was this woman so dangerous? Dr. Cunningham made it seem like this person was the reason he was in the hospital bed to begin with.

But isn't this person a friend of mine? Corrin asked himself before he felt the migraine returning. "Uhh…why can't I remember?"

"Did you call for me Corrin, dear?"

Corrin flinched at the new voice. Once Dr. Cunningham left, Bayonetta decided to make her presence known. A normal human wasn't going to detect her in the hospital room after all. Yes, she stood out as a huge crow, but there have been stranger things for people to see in Smashopolis. A crow just waiting to enter the hospital room didn't sound so wacky…only it did to an amnesic Corrin who did not expect the crow to turn back into a beautiful woman.

"Y-You're…" Corrin paused trying to remember her name. When Bayonetta was just addressed as "that witch", it was difficult to remember it. What he did recall was the reaction she had when he dissed the name "Cereza". That could have been her name for all he knew, but he had to dig really deep just to remember something. "…Bayonetta…that's what everyone called you…"

Bayonetta flinched at the name everyone used for her. Corrin was the only one who decided to shorten her name to "Cere" simply because it was cute and it stood out from the rest. She had teased the dragon prince for flirting with her, but it was something she got use to really fast. It felt off for Corrin to refer to her by the name being used in Smash.

"I guess you can remember something after all." Bayonetta snarked causing Corrin great confusion. "I hope you're ready to regain your memory quickly. We're going out for a walk."

"H-Huh? Right now? But I was told to stay here…"

"Like I care what the doctor thinks…" Bayonetta murmured to herself. "You'll remember things faster if you're outside."

Corrin wasn't so sure about that. He was still trying to process the simplest information. He would be overexposed outside that he might have an attack for attempting to process the information. Bayonetta wasn't thinking about that. She just wanted Corrin to get better quickly. If she had to drag him out into the open, so be it. The dragon prince could only squeak in protest when she grabbed him by the arm and made him exit via the window. She was capable of carrying him as a crow to the first floor without injuring him, but that wasn't the point. If Corrin remembered that he was a dragon that could fly, he would have done so. Instead, he was mesmerized by the size of Bayonetta's crow form, and that served to annoy the older woman to no end.


Bayonetta ends up dragging Corrin to one of his favorite places in Smashopolis: Botanical Garden. As the name implies, Botanical Garden was a store that attempted to gather almost every flower in the universe. Saplings for trees were sold here too, but it was mainly flowers. Corrin came here often. He would shop for flowers for either his sister or Bayonetta and he always made sure they were good as new. The two have been rather spoiled with him replacing the flowers once every two weeks if they failed to take care of said flower. He would complain they need to do a better job at maintaining the flowers, but he had no problem burning his money on flowers.

The goal for bringing Corrin to the Botanical Garden was for the sole purpose of jotting his memory. Surely, being in one of his favorite locations would awaken something inside of him.

There was a problem though. Corrin was clearly suffering when she dragged him outside. The headaches were only getting worse the further he was from the hospital and closer to old locations he enjoyed. Bayonetta saw this as a good sign and forced him to come along. From experience, whenever Loki was suffering from a headache, he usually obtained a memory of his past and then used that knowledge to help the two advance in their journey. Corrin was a strong individual. He was able to survive a gunshot wound to the head, so he would be able to handle having a headache.

Corrin wasn't Loki though. He wasn't remembering anything when he was forced to walk into the garden. He groaned weakly as she tried to pull him toward the red roses he often bought for her. His heart was beating rapidly the closer he got, but he had no clue why. Bayonetta huffed seeing how this tactic clearly wasn't working.

"Corrin, do you remember anything being in here?" Bayonetta asked. "You come here almost every day to look at the flowers. I don't know what else you do here, but if I needed you, you were always here…"

The dragon prince shook his head weakly. "N-No…I don't remember anything. I'm sorry…"

"Surely, you can remember. You buy white flowers for your sister and red roses for me…"

Corrin blinked at this statement. He tried really hard to remember this small detail. His sister was so important…yet he couldn't remember her favorite flower. The same could be said for Bayonetta, but he felt like the Umbra Witch wasn't lying. He glanced at her expression and noticed that she seemed rather flustered when talking about her flower. What did red roses symbolize again?

"No…I can't remember anything besides Cory…even then…I can't remember anything she specifically liked or dislike…I'm sorry." Corrin groaned. He wished he didn't have to repeat the same words he told Dr. Cunningham. He felt like he was letting people down by saying he couldn't remember.

Bayonetta shook her head in frustration. Why couldn't Corrin be like Loki and remember something? Heck, Bayonetta had a bad case of amnesia as well, but it only took Jeanne and a few key locations to actually jot her memory of her past. Corrin was simply being too stubborn. How could he forget the one time she teased him for constantly giving her red roses? How could he forget that she told them what they symbolized? How could he forget how red in the face he became when she asked if he liked her like that? How could he forget how badly he reacted and threw the flowers out and pretended that he wasn't upset?

That last one actually disappointed her. She knew Corrin was shy, but she knew she went too far with the teasing. However, she didn't know why she was upset. If he was going to remember anything, at least he should recall why she was upset with him.

"Bayonetta?"

She hated him calling her by that name. Where was the Cere she had grown accustomed to? Corrin let out a surprised yelp when she grabbed his shoulder and started to shake him.

"…Corrin…please don't play with me. Try to remember something about this place…something about us…"

"S-Stop, Bayonetta! My head…guhh!"

She ignored his pleas and continued to shake him like a ragdoll. That did catch the attention of civilians who noticed Corrin getting progressively louder until he started screaming how his head was hurting. The lack of care was apparent due to the Umbra Witch's mindset at that current moment. Had someone not stepped in, Corrin would have fainted and Bayonetta would have been blamed for hurting someone.

"Bayonetta, Corrin! What the heck is going on?!"

Cancel that. Bayonetta was going to get blamed either way seeing as how it was a Smasher that found them. The Umbra Witch was taken by surprise that someone was able to get between them so fast and shove her away with such strength.

"Cursed hedgehog…" She snarled. "You are always meddling in other people's affairs…"

She was talking about Sonic of course. Sonic's heart was always in the right place, but she like Fox felt like he meddled in other people's business. This was one of those times where she wished he wasn't around, but he has a good reason for stepping in this time around. Corrin needed to stay in the hospital and the last thing anyone wanted was for Corrin's condition to get worse after he escaped death.

"I'm meddlesome? Why the heck would you take Corrin out of the hospital when you know he isn't well?" Sonic shouted. His normally huge green eyes were filled with frustration directed at the Umbra Witch. "The doctors were lucky I was around. They would have sent a panicked message about losing Corrin!"

"He's here with me." Bayonetta started but Sonic quickly interrupted her.

"That's the problem! You put him in the hospital! Why would anyone want you near him after you shot him in the head?!"

Of course Sonic would remind Bayonetta of what she did to him. Even if she was certain she would hit her target, Corrin still got hit…

"Seriously, Bayo…you're being uncool at the moment. You need to take a chill pill."

Sonic was trying to speak in a way where it wasn't apparent that he was angry with her like the majority of the Smashers. He was good at keeping his cool, but he had his limits. Yes, he wasn't that close to Corrin. He was aware that Corrin and Bayonetta were very close in comparison, but that would make the situation worse if she could not see how badly he was damaged.

While witch and the hedgehog were at a standoff, Corrin's headache eventually won. The Nohrian prince's vision became black and he collapsed right in front of the two Smashers. Sonic stopped him from landing face first into the ground.

"Corrin!" Bayonetta exclaimed as she wanted to reach out to him, but Sonic wouldn't let her.

"…Please stay away from him." Sonic hissed as he was quick to lift Corrin off the ground and carry him bridal style. "Don't worry everyone! He's okay. I'm taking him back to the hospital for a check-up!"

At least Sonic remembered that Bayonetta had attracted an audience with how she was treating the silver haired prince. Bayonetta was more focused on what Sonic would do next. If she witch timed him before he sped off, maybe she could take Corrin back without anyone noticing…

"Oh yeah, this is going to go on your record Bayo." Sonic told her darkly. His cold expression surprised the Umbra Witch. Since when was Sonic capable of making a scary look like that. "You need to be kept away from Corrin until he's feeling better. He doesn't need you trying to kill him."

Bayonetta watched as Sonic took Corrin away from her. He would reach the hospital in no time at all. The raven haired witch was left alone to the nasty glares coming from the normal civilians. She gave them evil stares back in order to get them off her back before deciding to leave the Botanical Garden. She had no time with the people of Smashopolis if they were going to look down on her because of her action.

Fortunately for Bayonetta, she had an easy way to jump from this world to her world. She could easily freeze time so no one would see her using a portal to Paradiso. From there, she could jump back to the real world and end up in her universe. She wasn't exactly happy doing this though. She could always go back to the mansion, go to the Gates of Hell and go home through there, but she didn't want to see anyone at the moment.

I need to get away from here. I can't stand these people…


In the distance, the mindflayer demon observes Bayonetta and her actions. He failed to capture Corrin, but this only meant that his plans were delayed. Now, he could watch the chaos unfold as Bayonetta continued to mess it up for Corrin. Give it time and Corrin could possibly regain his memories. If she tried to force it, there was no way it would return.

"Is this okay with you? The witch is messing with your plan to get your son back."

The mindflayer was not alone. He was only able to see what was going on with Bayonetta because of this person. This person…wasn't exactly human per say. In fact, the mindflayer figured that this person was a powerful dragon. Seeing as how Corrin was a half-dragon, it would make sense for his father to be a full blooded dragon. The mindflayer didn't mind that he was working with an almighty dragon one-bit. He was getting something out of this deal besides watching others suffer.

I am willing to be patient. Because of the mistake, I am able to influence my son's memory. I can rewrite it to how I see fit. He will return to me regardless.

"But what about your daughter, Anankos?"

She is not as important as my son. Her usefulness has run out. However, if there is a way to return her home alive, I will not mind a bit.

The mindflayer nodded his head to Anankos' answer.

What will you do with the witch? She may not be able to stop me, but she is a meddlesome woman.

"I want her to fall into despair." Was the answer Anankos received. "She needs to pay for what she did to Alraune. I need to do more than isolate her from the other fighters. She needs to be alone before I prey on her."

Anankos was silent to the demon's needs. From observation, it was clear that the Umbra Witch was an important person to his son. If the mindflayer had his way, then it might make his plans even easier to obtain his son from the Smash Brothers Realm without causing a scene. The last thing he wanted was for his plan to backfire and for his children to return and slay him in a weakened state.

Will you enlist the help of that goblin? Anankos asked him. I had asked him to retrieve my children and he failed miserably. He had that witch on his side until that angel told her the truth of his dealings.

"Dogura? Oh yes. He will be involved in my plans. I'm sure he would want revenge for that witch ruining his captures and exposing him as too dangerous to be seen in the Smash Brothers Realm." The mindflayer snickered as he pulled something from under his robe. "You see what this is?"

…That belongs to my son I assume?

"To an extent. I will make sure that this will not be destroyed for your sake. When that bullet hit your son's head, I managed to use some magic to tinker with his body and this is what I got. This is the only reason he is able to survive. His memories are pure despite the torture you had done to this boy. He is pure…so pure that he will allow me to do whatever I want with that Umbra Witch."

The mindflayer could think of a million ways to ruin Bayonetta. In the palm of his hands were the memories that made Corrin who he was today. He wanted the soul as a bargaining chip, but got his memories in spiritual form instead. It was encased in a small lantern like object that was heavily protected by the dark magic the mindflayer had. He could do so many things with Corrin's memories. As long as Corrin's real memories weren't tampered with, Anankos' plan to mess with Corrin's head would work swell. Now the plan the mindflayer had for Bayonetta did in fact involve even more isolation than what she was already receiving.

Just you wait, Bayonetta. When I am through with you, everyone in the mansion will hate you. You will have no one to turn to, and when I finally decided to strike at you, no one will care. No one will care that you went missing…you will become a shell of your former self when I'm done with you, and you will have your precious dragon to blame.

Notes:

Me: TBC with 6363 words. Notes!

1. As stated in Ban Hammer story, there are commentators of Smash but as TheSlime Maker story shows, they also deliver the news to Smashopolis. It's a double edge sword obviously since they get information out as quickly as possible while being able to twist the story. So far, the news is slanted against Bayonetta as a reference to how in the meta, people are still salty about her. The media in this universe isn't nice to Sonic either (which is a given seeing as how people forget the good deeds Sonic does) and the third would be Rob seeing as how the gender bias is real. You would think Rosalina would be slandered given how people treat her in the meta, but then you remember Rosalina is a Goddess and it would be a bad idea to slander her. Granted, it's bad to do it to Bayonetta, but Dante is one of the commentators (sometimes) and add to the fact Bayonetta was warned by Master Hand to not go all out, it adds to Bayonetta having to deal with so much bullshit.

2. According to the journal entries in Bayonetta, characters with high magic power can enter Purgatorio and survive in it. This is important when it comes to the Smashers as not everyone can follow Bayonetta unless she forces them inside. Cloud cannot find Purgatorio on his own, but he can fight in it and do well in this environment. Angels and demons can clearly see them without trying, but someone like Sonic would need to squint to see anything…even though he could feel the presence. Animals in general seem to be aware of Purgatorio, but it doesn't mean they can do anything about the residents inside of it. Also, Smashville has a variety of species, so it would only be half-way effective for Bayonetta.

3. The item the mindflayer has will be known as time goes on in this story. Please keep an eye on it because the definition might change later on. You just need to know it pertains to Corrin and it will be used against Bayonetta later on.

Chapter 4: Introducing Mr. Magnificent

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The first thing that Bayonetta wanted to do when she returned to her world was find Jeanne. If no one in Smash was willing to hear her out, then perhaps her old friend (and roommate) would lend an ear. Jeanne wasn't all that hard to find. In the city they resided in, she was a history teacher for the high school there. Bayonetta couldn't remember the name of the high school, but she recognized it by the flag in the courtyard.

While it was still the afternoon in Smashopolis, it was after school hours in Bayonetta's world. Bayonetta was certain that time went by slower in her world. It was easier to plan things with this in mind. The raven haired witch could have waited outside of the school for her friend, but decided to go inside and visit the teacher herself.

Jeanne was leaving the building with three students following behind her. Bayonetta only recognized one of the students because of how much she intruded on their lives. This girl was always falling behind in class, so Jeanne needed to hammer into this girl that she needed to keep up if she wanted to graduate.

While the two students with the girl parted ways, the girl had to stay behind to get lectured a little more. Bayonetta got a better look at the girl. She was a petite girl with black, medium length hair and big brown eyes. Her hair was tucked in the back of her high school uniform. The girl's backpack was odd though. While it seemed to be a generic pink bag, there seemed to be a long chain coming out of it. If Bayonetta had to guess, she assumed there were weights inside it.

"Do you understand what I am saying Akane?" Jeanne asked the young girl who was on the verge of spacing out again. "You need to study for your exam if you want to even pass this class."

"History isn't even important when you graduate high school." The high school girl groaned as she avoided eye contact with Jeanne. "It's a waste of time. Besides, you ask for too many details when it comes to European history. When can we talk about Japan's history?"

Bayonetta observed how Jeanne would react. Jeanne was good with handling these brats, but Akane was on another level of obnoxious. When you had someone who didn't like history combined with being annoying, you were already on Jeanne's bad side. Bayonetta felt Jeanne's magic level increase when speaking to the girl. Hopefully she didn't send her demon out to hurt this girl.

"Akane…just because you transferred from Japan doesn't mean that I'm going to cater to your country. A European school learns European history. If you want to learn about Japan, either take it from another teacher or transfer out."

"…But…people say you spend more than a semester just on the topic of witch hunts. What we study for isn't on the important exams…"

"Are you questioning my lectures?"

"…No…"

"Then do as you're told."

Akane glared at Jeanne as she puffed her cheeks. Bayonetta would think that she became Jigglypuff after being told to not complain. Akane growls as she decided to storm off instead of argue with Jeanne any longer. The other two students, who were trailing along, chased after Akane so they wouldn't have to deal with Jeanne's quick temper.

"That brat…" Jeanne hissed. "If she spent less time daydreaming and more time listening, we wouldn't have this conversation for the 500th time!"

"Jeanne…"

Bayonetta probably should have left her friend alone. Jeanne was ready to blow her top. However, upon seeing Bayonetta, Jeanne's temper diminished almost instantly.

"Cereza, what a surprise you come and visit me." The history teacher began. "What is the occasion for you to see me? You're usually earning money for us in the tournament."

"About that…"

"If it's nothing important, make it quick. I have a teacher's meeting to attend. That brat is the reason I'm running late yet again."

Jeanne expected a quick response from her childhood friend, so when she was met with silence, she actually decided to observe Bayonetta. Confusion overcame Jeanne seeing the distraught look her friend had. Bayonetta was good at hiding her emotions from others, but Jeanne knew her best. She knew when Bayonetta was in distress and usually was able to tell either by how furrow her eyebrows were or how her eyes refused to keep eye contact for long.

"Cereza, is something on your mind?"

"Well of course." Bayonetta answered truthfully. "Why else would I come to the school you work at to see you?"

"Oh, I forgot you only visit me when you want something from me." Jeanne snarked. She glanced at the large school clock and sighed. There was no way she was going to get to that meeting on time. She was better off just skipping like usual. It wasn't everyday Bayonetta returned after she got accepted into Smash Brothers.

"My motorcycle is over there. Come on Cereza. Let's go home."

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

"I'm not missing too much. Someone will fill me in on the meeting anyway." Jeanne cut herself off before she gave away her obvious concern. Bayonetta was more important than an undercover job that was meant to attract angels.

Bayonetta silently complied as she followed her friend toward the teacher's parking lot. The parking lot was halfway full. Bayonetta always found it amusing how the teachers and staff got more parking spaces when it was the students that needed the parking spaces. Jeanne was one of the few teachers who rode a motorcycle to school. Some would wonder how she was able to carry everything with her, but they didn't know about Jeanne's hammer space. All witches had a hammer space of some sorts. It was how they were able to store their weapons, items and accessories. Books, papers and pens were nothing in comparison to the more dangerous things that Jeanne had.

Since Jeanne was the driver, Bayonetta had to sit in the back of the motorcycle. She didn't mind too much. Bayonetta was capable of operating vehicles, but over time, she let Jeanne be the one to drive them around. Sitting in the back teasing her was more entertaining than steering the motorcycle. Jeanne would lecture her on not being a safe passenger when the raven haired witch would let go of her waist. Only if they were pursuing a target would Jeanne allow her to be reckless. This was not one of those times.

Bayonetta obediently wrapped her arms around Jeanne as she started the engine. The Heir of the Umbra monitored her older friend and anticipated a serious conversation when they got back to their apartment. Jeanne started the engine and zoomed off. She cared not about the speed limit. Usually, she would be driving too fast for the police to even consider chasing after her. The one time she got pulled over due to having to comply with human society, she got off with a warming because she was an attractive woman. Bayonetta teased her about getting caught and setting a bad example for the younger generation, but she could care less about what others thought.

"Cereza, you know you're allowed to cry when it's just the two of us." Jeanne said as a matter of fact statement.

Her statement appalled Bayonetta. Why would Jeanne say this now?

"...Jeanne, I am past the age of tears." Bayonetta growled. "I don't cry anymore…"

Bayonetta wouldn't see Jeanne raising an eyebrow at that sentence. Even if Bayonetta was over 500 years old, she was still a big baby deep down. People just weren't aware of it.

It would only take a few minutes to reach the apartment. Jeanne wasted no time parking in the garage that was shared by many people. Their apartment was on a higher floor due to the view (and because it was easier to get rid of angels that were dumb enough to attack them in their own home). Jeanne leads the way up the stairs up to the sixth floor. Walking wasn't that much of a problem. The problem stemmed from how they could have walked up the stairs faster if they just morphed into their feline form. Jeanne was expecting Bayonetta to talk while they headed up the stairs, but nothing escaped from her mouth.

Bayonetta would only talk once they reached their apartment and entered the room. Jeanne quickly locked the door and set her things down. The Seer of Darkness collapsed onto the nearby couch almost instantly. She was more tired than she thought.

"I almost forgot what this couch felt like." Bayonetta hummed as she almost allowed herself to relax.

"This is our home after all…don't forget that…" Jeanne mumbled causing Bayonetta to shoot up immediately.

"What did you say Jeanne?"

"Nothing of importance. If you want to talk to me, now is your chance. I'm all ears."

Jeanne would have preferred to shower and get into her pajamas, but she was prioritizing her friend first. The things Jeanne did for Bayonetta sometimes…

Bayonetta didn't know where to begin. She wanted to jump straight to the problem, but it had been a while since she returned home. She needed to keep her friend updated on the people she met in the Smash Brothers Realm and what changed.

Jeanne let Bayonetta vent about what had occurred in the Smash Brothers Realm. Things weren't all sunshine and rainbows in that tournament. Without the Smashers to judge her, she was allowed to put her two cents on the situation.

Bayonetta had a lot to talk about. From the moment she left her world to do that fateful mission of capturing the dragon twins resulting in her teaming up with Pit and rescuing them and the tactician twins to being voted into Smash Brothers as a fighter. She spoke about the life she was having inside of the mansion. She wasn't exactly thrilled rooming with Cory, but she wasn't allowed to have a room alone.

The Umbra Witch would then talk about the friends (and many enemies) she made in the mansion. She spoke fondly of Corrin and Cloud while rolling her eyes when mentioning Cory and Palutena, and this was not missed by Jeanne. Bayonetta did make a list of Smashers she had a winning record against, and it was pretty much everyone but a few selective fighters. Jeanne wouldn't tell her that she did watch some matches that were being broadcasted and see her lose to either the small chimp, the Sheikah or the Goddess of Space. Jeanne also noticed that Corrin usually wasn't in the tournament and it was his sister instead. If Corrin fought Bayonetta in bracket, he would most likely beat her while Cory didn't stand a chance in comparison. These were just minor things that Jeanne picked up on when she watched her Umbra Sister. Bayonetta had a huge handicap in Smash, so she wasn't surprised she would be dropping matches every now and then.

Eventually, the topic would go to what happened a few days ago. Having a background was important. While Jeanne was interested in Corrin's friends outside of Smash that were considered rivals to Bayonetta, she needed to know why her friend was here in the first place.

Bayonetta was rather hesitant with starting on the topic. It started with Shulk getting a vision and shouting for the match to stop. Once the match was stopped, the Smashers and Corrin's friends rushed to save the dragon twins. The Smashers had no problem getting rid of the enemies that surrounded the dragon twins, but the moment Corrin was taken hostage was when things took a turn for the worse. Bayonetta stopped speaking Jeanne asked her what she did next.

"…I ignored Shulk's warning and took the shot at the demon." Bayonetta confessed. "I was certain I wouldn't miss…yet I hit Corrin."

"…And he's not dead?" Jeanne asked.

"It was a miracle…" Bayonetta murmured. "His memories are gone though…because of me."

"…So you were being rash again…"

"I believe I would hit my mark…"

"But this Shulk is a seer…"

"Yes…"

"And he probably saw you missing your target and hitting Corrin…"

Bayonetta fell silent. Jeanne sighed at her friend. Why would Bayonetta foolishly put her friend in danger when someone who could see the future told her not to shoot? Why was Bayonetta so stubborn?

"I understand you wanted to look cool in front of your crush, but you really need to realize the situation you were in. You were lucky he survived a bullet from your gun."

"Crush?" Bayonetta questioned rather annoyed with her younger friend. "Why would I have a crush on Corrin?! I just thought I would be able to kill the mindflayer before he got away with Corrin! How is that me trying to act cool?!"

"No need to get offended…" Jeanne muttered but made a mental note that Bayonetta had developed a sore spot now. Bayonetta wasn't the type to crush on anyone much less fall in love. It was amusing to see that a crush was developing concerning Corrin. She only spoke positively of the Nohrian prince. It almost made Jeanne want to meet him in person…but if what Bayonetta said was true about his memories, she won't be able to meet the person Bayonetta developed a crush on.

"Instead of making assumptions, I want you to tell me what I should do in this situation. I made quite a few people angry with me because of my carelessness."

Bayonetta tried to act like she wasn't desperate for an answer, but Jeanne wasn't fooled. Bayonetta really needed to be told what to do when she felt everyone turned her back on her. On one hand, Bayonetta shouldn't care what other people think, but Corrin had become an important person in his life. She couldn't bear to lose him and for the people who were close to him hate her. If they hated her, they would make sure she wouldn't interact with him again. Cory and Sonic already gave that implication. She didn't want to talk to anyone else.

"You just need to accept responsibility for your actions. Cereza, this is not a hard thing to do."

"But how?"

You do expect me to tell you. Jeanne thought to herself. "You need to realize that there is a chance of failure. I know how you like to get crazy in battle, but we both know that most people aren't like us. We can handle ourselves. I don't know how capable your friend was, but you expected him to get out on his own when he was taken as a hostage. You also didn't trust your seer friend enough. Since you're a seer, you should have believed in his words."

Bayonetta remained quiet to Jeanne's lecture. The Heir to the Umbra did expect her friend to speak back, but Bayonetta did need Jeanne's advice.

"You also need to not let your pride get the best of you."

I already know that. Bayonetta thought darkly to herself. In the back of her mind though, she knew this was part of the reason she took the shot and ignored Shulk.

"You need to take things slow if you want to fix things. Cereza, I know you're the type of person to rush into things without thinking, but this might be one of those times where you need to stop and think. You don't want to make the situation worse than it already is."

"I know that Jeanne…" Bayonetta grumbled. Jeanne did not believe that Bayonetta knew this. It was why she still had a defiant expression on her face. "I intend to find that ugly demon that caused this to happen…"

"And what will you do when you find him? Surely, you don't expect him to just magically fix the memory loss of your friend."

The platinum blonde haired witch shook her head seeing her older friend give her a dumbfounded look. The situation was not as simple this time around. Just because she was able to go to Inferno and save her soul from being eaten doesn't mean that she could do the same thing with Corrin's memories.

"Killing that demon will not bring your friend's memory back." Jeanne recited causing her friend to be at a loss for words. "I don't want you doing anything reckless."

That was the only plan Bayonetta had though. If she had any other bright ideas, she would have recited it. Jeanne sighed seeing the hurt expression her friend wore. The raven haired witch would deny having a look that would be described as the "puppy-dog" look, but this was one of those times.

"Your head isn't on straight." Jeanne continued as she rubbed her temples. "I suggest you don't return to the Smash Brothers Realm for now. You need time to calm down, and I'm certain everyone in that world feels the same way."

"But…"

"No, buts. You're coming back to the apartment. Once you have better plan besides "find the demon and kick his ass", then I'll let you leave. I don't want you causing problems for others."

Bayonetta opened her mouth to protest, but shut it instantly. Jeanne may have been younger than her, but she was still the wiser of the two. At a time like this, she needed to concede and listen to Jeanne. She did need a break from all the drama that had been happening recently, but it didn't mean she was thrilled with this decision overall. She would be missing out on all the events that occur and would have no way of knowing if Corrin's condition would change. Jeanne was worried for her friend's mental health more than Corrin's, but it didn't change how Bayonetta would probably be worrying herself more if she stayed here. Bayonetta finally nodded her head as she made the decision to stay with Jeanne temporally.


The mindflayer had so many options when handling this mission. He needed to choose carefully on whom he wanted to hire for said mission though. The mindflayer desired to see things through to the end and make Anankos happy. He was promised a huge fortune as well as power in the world that the dragon twins came from if he succeeded in retrieving the dragon prince. Getting Bayonetta out of the way was just the first step.

The first people the mindflayer wanted to hire were Passion and Compassion. They were Witch Hunters from the notorious Band of Six. They were a powerful duo that handled powerful witches and sorcerers with ease, but the mindflayer had doubted their prowess for this particular occasion. Bayonetta was a powerful witch. She was able to kill angels, demons and Gods with relative ease. She was not someone to be underestimated. Even if Passion and Compassion were demons who specifically hunted down witches and sorcerers, they were still at risk of ending up as another victim to Bayonetta. If she were to kill them, the mindflayer expected they would be turned into powerful weapons that would be used to slay other demons.

If he couldn't rely on Passion and Compassion, he could find someone else. That was why he ended up at the Space Pirate Hub. He was going to hire someone here to help him out. He needed to choose carefully. A lot of money was on the line. If he succeeded, he would not only be rich, but his reputation would be known throughout the Netherworld.

"Your name is Krey, I assume?"

The mindflayer's head shot up hearing his name called in the loud hub. In this place, there was nothing but vulgar demons that drank at the bar, gambled at the tables and looked through the wanted posters of expensive targets. It was rare for anyone to know anyone by name. The mindflayer was taken back by this.

"…And who are you?" The mindflayer known as Krey asked. He was annoyed that it wasn't a demon that approached him. From what the mindflayer saw, it was a young human male with short dark blue colored hair and intimidating gray eyes. He wore a shiny black trench coat with an odd sigma sewed onto it. He also had a checkered handkerchief scarf wrapped around his neck. What irritated Krey the most was the smug expression he wore.

"You are asking people to do an impossible task. Name the price and I will do it."

The human ignored the question agitating the mindflayer even more.

"You're just a human." Krey spoke. "You wouldn't last five minutes against that Umbra Witch Bayonetta!"

Mentioning Bayonetta's name was enough for the demons and space pirates to stop whatever they were doing and glare at the mindflayer. Mentioning the witch only spelt trouble, so it was best to ignore anyone who was dumb enough to mention Bayonetta and task in the same sentence.

"It appears these fellows in here won't give you the time of day to do your request." The human began. The smirk he had widened seeing Krey flinch at his arrogance. "It is not a surprise. You are speaking of a woman who is strong enough to slay Gods on multiple occasions. She takes pride in one of the best tournaments in the universe with other powerful fighters and even if you were able to get her to let her guard down, she would still be strong enough to finish you off."

"You obviously don't know what I am capable of. She would have died had it not been for her friend."

The human shook his head. He didn't believe the mindflayer one bit. "It seems like you don't know who I am for you to be doubting me. My name is Sapphire and I am a member of the Army of Darkness."

From the way he said it, Sapphire sounded like a codename more than his real name. He wasn't going to give his name out for free, so Krey would just have to settle with that. Mentioning the Army of Darkness caused the bar to become cold. The Space Pirates gave scared looks to Sapphire upon mentioning that and moved away from him. They lowered their voices and pretended that he and Krey no longer existed.

"I'm sure you have heard of the Army of Darkness, right?"

"…I heard of people who leave that wannabe God team…" Krey started but was cut short by Sapphire's snarky comment.

"Only the old man and his daughter left on their own free will. We couldn't trust them anyway. That old man cannot work as a team."

"…Diamond and Pearl…" Krey muttered. "The mad scientist and his daughter…"

"Experience and attempting to bring back a dead friend is more important than our bosses goals." Sapphire said while rolling his eyes. "Technically, I'm a lone wolf as well, but everything I do will benefit our leader in the long run. I am willing to lend my power to you seeing as how you're struggling to get rid of that witch."

This was an opportunity Krey should not pass up. However, he could not trust anyone from the Army of Darkness. They were a group of powerful individuals with God complexes that wanted absolute power to themselves. In order to be God, they would need to seek eternal youth and immortality. For a bunch of humans, it was a futile journey. It was probably why Diamond left and took his daughter with him. He would rather use his science for himself instead of his boss.

"Why would you want to help me?" Krey asked. "Do you have a grudge against Bayonetta?"

"No." Sapphire answered. "On the contrary, I am quite fascinated with her. She is a strong woman…or that is what she wants everyone to believe."

Krey raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Hmm?""

"You see, anyone who has kept up with history in her world would realize that she's not as strong as she wants to be. She may be a powerhouse, but she's still immature and childish. One thing goes wrong in her normal life and she starts to break down. I would not mind using my powers to manipulate and break the woman if that is what you desire."

Krey was rather interested now. "And how would you go about doing that?"

"Words are more dangerous than what people give it credit for." Sapphire explained. "You see, in my mind, people are not truly powerful or truly pure. Everyone has a different side of them that they wish to hide from the world. Bayonetta is no exception. I love the idea of pushing people like her into a corner to see how she would react. It would push her to her limits. She might be stronger than anticipated…or she might cry like the weak person she tries not to be. I have observed what you did in the Smash Brothers Realm and her psyche has already crashed down. She is trying to rebuild herself before things get worse, but that is where I come in. I will give her a false hope of being able to save her friend, and then I will take it all away."

"But she won't trust you…"

"She doesn't need to. Her desire to save a loved one is strong. She went through Inferno to save her Umbran Sister. She will surely do whatever I tell her if she cares about her dragon friend." Sapphire smiled evilly when he said this. He was fine with addressing Corrin as a friend even if it was apparent to him that Bayonetta was certainly crushing on the young prince. He needed to speak in an ambiguous manner, or she might expect suspect something from him. Not like he was a trustworthy individual to start with.

"If it was so easy, I would be able to do it myself." Krey brought up. "She's a stubborn woman."

"Exactly. This will be a fun challenge for me. Even if my boss doesn't approve of me messing around with the Smashers, I will assist you…for a price."

Sapphire spoke with so much confidence that Krey felt like he needed to hire him on the spot.

"…Just so you know, I have an end goal for that witch. A certain goblin still has a grudge against her for preventing him from capturing those two dragons now in Smash. Should you succeed, you must deliver Bayonetta to Dogura. He will be either in the slave ring or Goblin Galaxy depending on the set course he is on."

Sapphire folded his arms. His smirk did not falter even when told what the requirement was. Regardless of what the requirements are, Sapphire resolved to doing the task.

"I am ready." Sapphire told him. "I'll be generous with my service too and ask for the price once all is said and done."

"Oh?"

"All I need before I begin is information you already have on the witch. Not like I don't know a lot about her, but I do need information on her current whereabouts and her current weakness outside of her friends."

If Sapphire were to handle Bayonetta, Krey could focus on capturing Corrin for his boss. This was an opportunity he could not afford to pass up. As a result, he extended his tentacle out to Sapphire.

"You got yourself a deal. You're hired."


Bayonetta took Jeanne's advice and did not return to the Smash Brothers mansion immediately. She may have cared for Corrin, but she did need to calm down and clear her head. While that was the excuse she could give herself, she knew deep down that she didn't return immediately because she didn't want to face the consequences of her actions. Sonic was going to tattle on her for taking Corrin out of his hospital bed thus hindering his healing process even if it was for a few minutes. Not only was Bayonetta being blamed for his hospitalization, she would be blamed for making it worse. She was better off just staying in her apartment and wait for things to calm down. Maybe if she pretended the event didn't happen, then she would recover from the incident faster. The Smash Brothers Realm was on a faster clock than her own world, so maybe this whole incident would blow over and people would forget about her slip up against the mindflayer. That mentality was probably why Bayonetta thought that the Smashers wouldn't miss her if she were gone. Granted, the Smashers weren't exactly her friends, but after what she did to Corrin, they weren't going to be any friendlier toward her. Cloud would be the only person who gave a damn, but he would just visit her and lecture her at the current moment. Since she didn't want to hear Cloud's disappoint, she was going to stay put in her world until further notice. The days would go by without any of the Smashers coming to see her. Bayonetta felt a tightening in her chest at the implication, but ignored it in favor of something else.

Bayonetta used this opportunity to do battle with the angels. She refused to get rusty while she was away from Smash. Who knows when another attack would happen? The angels from Paradiso didn't know when to quit bugging her. When she went to the Smash Brothers Realm, the angels stopped attacking her because of Palutena and Pit's presence. The moment she stepped away from the Smash Brothers Realm was when they would fight her again. The Umbra Witch had no problem using them as an outlet for her anger.

Unfortunately for her, she caught the attention of a certain dark angel from Skyworld. Blowing up angel brains wasn't pleasing her a bit. She was still angry thinking about the mindflayer that made her shoot Corrin. If she were capable of turning back time, she would have done so. Even if she could go back and stop herself from being a smart aleck and shooting despite the hostage, she knew about the stable time loop. Interfering with the past was dangerous unless it was destined to happen. When she got thrown back into the past, she apparently did help her mother fight through the hordes of angels. The same could not be said if she were to jump back and block the bullet. That would cause some huge problems and Bayonetta really hated dealing with the consequences. All she can do is think of the future and how to restore Corrin's memories…even if the probability of that happening was low.

These cursed angels…that damn mindflayer…I swear when I find him I will show him why he shouldn't fuck with a witch.

Another weak angel came her way. It was the last one after slaughtering the angels that attacked her. A simple bullet to the head was all it took to kill it. Killing this angel was the last straw though.

"You disappear for more than a week and the first thing I see is you killing angels. No wonder Pitstain hates you."

That voice…

Bayonetta had to turn around to make sure she was hearing the person right. For a moment, she thought Pit finally decided to pay her a visit. When she turned around from where she was standing, she saw Dark Pit with his vice captain instead. Pit and Dark Pit had a very similar voice, and if it weren't for Dark Pit referring to Pit by that distasteful nickname, she would have been ready for a snarky comeback. She chose her words more carefully around Dark Pit though. He may have been the one with the nasty attitude, but he was more fragile than Pit was from what she noticed.

"Those poor angels didn't stand a chance." The vice captain spoke. She snickered as she looked down at the blood that was oozing out of them. "The city is going to have problems cleaning up the street."

"They can't see these dead angels, so I don't see your point."

"I'm talking about the people who can! You give them unnecessary hard work!"

"Little Ms. Spider, I think you need to remember that demons like you have no problem devouring angel corpses."

Dark Pit shivered at the implication. The idea of his vice captain wanting to eat him did in fact worry him. His vice captain was too nice to do something like that to him though.

"Bayonetta, Arachne would never do that." Dark Pit defended. "She's just bringing up how it looks bad."

"I've been slaying angels all of my life. Little Icarus needs to tell you more about me." Bayonetta snarked.

"Why you…" Arachne hissed. She stopped herself from speaking because of Dark Pit. The dark angel extended his arm out in front of the spider demon and shook his head.

"Easy Arachne." Dark Pit started. "We're here for a reason."

"…Yeah…I know."

The black angel attempted to look Bayonetta in the eye even if she wasn't exactly interested in listening to him.

"Bayonetta, where have you been? It's been ten days since we've last seen you."

"Must I remind you that it's only been five days here?" Bayonetta responded with a question rather quickly. She didn't need to be reminded how long it has been. "I haven't been gone for a weak."

"Well…we haven't seen you for ten days and Master Hand is pissed." Dark Pit told her as he put his hands on his hips. "You can't just run away from the problems you have caused us."

"You mean Master Hand. You're not even involved in this incident."

"You kind of made it our problem…"

Arguing was getting nowhere. Bayonetta could have simply said that Sonic tattle telling on her was part of the reason she didn't want to return. He might have exaggerated on what she did to Corrin and get severely punished.

"Look, I'll be fine if you just give me an update on Corrin's condition."

"Do you really think you should be ordering Li around?" Arachne asked darkly.

"It's okay Arachne." Dark Pit told her. "You don't need to get angry for me."

"Tch…"

Bayonetta tapped her foot impatiently. She didn't stop killing angels just to hear a dark angel and a demon squabble with each other. She already found it amusing that an angel and a demon would even work together to find her, but if they were only here to annoy her, she had no problem cutting them down. Dark Pit felt that Arachne was provoking Bayonetta for no real reason. It was why he needed to speak quickly as a diplomat before Arachne opened her big mouth and said something she will regret.

"So if it wasn't obvious, those close to Corrin have been helping him for the past ten days. Cory of course is helping her brother, but also Cloud, Volga, Snow White and Axel. You should be part of this group, but here you are killing my kind…" Dark Pit started. Bayonetta rolled her eyes at his judgmental tone before he continued. "Corrin is no longer in danger of dying. The doctors worked their magic and he's as good as new physically. Corrin recovered quickly and is discharged from the hospital."

"That's good…" Bayonetta mumbled to herself. Dark Pit did in fact hear her, but did not comment on her mumbling.

"The only memory that seemed to have come back to Corrin is that he is a dragon capable of transforming his body in order to attack."

"That is very convenient for him." Arachne interrupted. "Yes, I heard Volga scared the poor guy upon waking up, but to remember that after a few days makes it seem like it was staged…"

Bayonetta had no idea what the spider demon was talking about. All she needed to know was that Corrin remembered what species he was.

"He'll be training again to remember how to use a sword and to fight effectively." Dark Pit added. "He's very rusty. He doesn't fight like he used to. It's going to take a long time to get back into his groove and differentiate from his sister."

"…But besides that…"

"Yes, Corrin is fine. You can talk to him without the fear of the doctors scolding you."

Bayonetta sighed in relief. At the very least Corrin was recovering physically from the gun wound. Dragons were tough. Even half dragons like Corrin should have been able to recover. His memories not returning were to be desired, but it was great to know he was making a quick recovery.

"Did Corrin remember anything?" Bayonetta asked. She attempted to play it off like she didn't care if Corrin remembered her or not, but Dark Pit and Arachne were not fooled. She was clearly worried. Unfortunately, Arachne could care less about Bayonetta's feelings if she was going to give them a bad attitude.

"Of course not. The doctors are focusing on him recovering physically before his memories come back to mind. They don't want to put more stress on him." Arachne explained. "And even if he did remember anything, I doubt he wants to remember the person who shot him."

Dark Pit slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead at Arachne's bluntness. Bayonetta visibly flinched from her words.

"O-Oh…"

"It's not just Corrin that probably wants to forget you. Everyone but Cloud wants to forget how your arrogance caused this. It's probably why no one bothered to see you until now. Dark Pit has more important things to do than give you a status report."

Arachne just kept yapping away. The situation was getting worse by the minute, but she didn't care. Bayonetta needed to be reminded that this was her fault. Bayonetta growled at the spider demon. A purple aura surrounded Bayonetta for a few seconds before disappearing. Arachne was this close to getting punched by Madama Butterfly. Dark Pit realized this and pinched Arachne in the back of her neck. The blonde demon cried out in pain as she cursed at her captain.

"Arachne, for fucks sake…shut your mouth."

"But Li-"

"No buts!"

Even if Dark Pit was trying to save face for his vice captain, Bayonetta was through with talking to them. There was nothing else she needed to know.

"Bayonetta," Dark Pit continued, "ignore what Arachne said. No one hates you for what happened. I don't hate you. That's why I'm here to tell you what is going on with Corrin. I understand that you thought you could handle that ugly demon on your own despite him taking Corrin as hostage, but things didn't go the way you planned. You just need to own up to your mistake. And you also need to apologize to Cory for doing this to her brother. I know you two are roommates and you don't exactly get along, but she has the right to get an apology from you. If Corrin died, then you would have left her alone in the world. It is painful…to lose a twin…"

Dark Pit was the sensible twin of the two. Pit would have just lectured Bayonetta nonstop about how terrible she was. She did need some reassurance, but at the same time, she knew why she didn't want to continue this conversation anymore. Arachne made it clear everyone was still mad at her, and the last thing she wanted was to face an angry mob of Smashers who were upset that Corrin didn't recall who they were. How childish of her to continue running away from the consequences of her arrogant actions…

"Bayonetta?"

"If that is all you have to say, I will ask you to leave. I still have plenty of angels to kill and halos to make. I don't like being in debt for long."

Bayonetta turned her back to Dark Pit as a way to tell him they were done talking. The dark angel hated being ignored, but there wasn't much he could do. He already gave her the update and warned her that Master Hand was already mad. His frustration prevented him from realizing that the Umbra Witch was lying about needing the halos.

"You know Snow White won't be happy if you continue to stay here without an apology, right?" Dark Pit asked her.

"I could care less about that spoiled princess." Bayonetta told him. "She should be happy that I'm not there to hog Corrin all for myself."

"You are a terrible friend…" Arachne muttered. "The least you could do is check up on the friend you sent to the hospital."

"Arachne, please!"

The blonde demon froze at Dark Pit's tone. He was pleading her at this point to not pick a fight with Bayonetta. The Umbra Witch tolerated them enough, and it was time to leave.

"We tried to warn you." Dark Pit reminded her before he turned his back to her. "Arachne, we're leaving."

Arachne nodded her head. The two slowly walked away in the other direction. The chances of their being a portal that would take them back to Skyworld were incredibly high. In Bayonetta's world, it was easy to reach heaven or hell from any location. Bayonetta refused to look behind her to see the spider demon sticking her tongue out her way. If Bayonetta was immature, she might have flipped the young vice captain off for attempting to provoke her. Bayonetta's mind was stuck on Corrin though. Her body trembled thinking about Corrin's condition. Ten days later and Corrin hasn't made much progress with his memory. Were his memories really gone for good?

It's not my fault he lost his memories. Corrin is lucky he's alive. Bayonetta thought darkly to herself as she started to walk away. That brat…he's making me think of him too much. If he just stayed out of my way…he would still be the same idiot as he is today.

Bayonetta needed to get her mind off of Corrin, now. The only way to do that was to kill some angels. Luckily for her, the angels weren't going to leave her alone especially with how she talked to Dark Pit. She could only hope they would keep on coming…


Bayonetta ended up wasting the day away picking off the angels that dared to challenge her. They weren't a challenge in the slightest and the angels only took her mind off Corrin for a small period of time before she was thinking about the dragon prince again. Luckily, there were a few demons that decided to join in on the battle, but they were easily dealt with as the angels. Bayonetta was in that mood where even a Resentment wouldn't pose much of a threat.

Despite slaying the enemies that pursued her, Bayonetta could not get Corrin or Jeanne's words out of her head. Wanting revenge for Corrin was high on her priority list, but Jeanne's words warned her that she would not get Corrin's memories back if he were to kill him. All that would do is satisfy her own anger that she had inside of her.

Maybe I should ask Rodin if he knows anyone that could restore someone's memories. Bayonetta pondered to herself. She sighed as she rubbed her temples. That would be the most convenient thing imaginable, but Rodin always had the answers.

Bayonetta walked down the streets of the city alone. No angels or demons bothered to attack her now, so she was allowed to be lost in her thoughts without the fear of being ambushed. Bayonetta was still stuck in the in-between world, so she walked past other humans. She needed to walk into the alleyway before she returned to the human world. It was at that point that someone would eventually notice Bayonetta all alone and want to approach her.

He was a friend of Bayonetta. He was considered the meddlesome human that always pursued Bayonetta since childhood. No matter where she went, he was always in the shadows waiting to catch her in the act. He wanted to expose her for the killer she was, but when the truth came out, he was able to put the past behind him. Now, he pursued her for the thrill of an adventure as a journalist.

However, this man had to put his adventures on hold when Bayonetta got accepted into Smash. She wouldn't be leaving the Smash Brothers Realm until the tournament ended. It wouldn't stop her from taking missions though if someone from her world asked.

Well, well, if it isn't Bayonetta. I wonder what she's doing out here…I wonder how she'll react to seeing the great Luka coming back into her life.

There was a hint of sarcasm in his thoughts. Bayonetta probably noticed he was stalking her already, so he would look stupid trying to play the part of a ninja. Luka hesitated for more than that reason though. Even if Bayonetta was known for being the type of person who never fully let her guard down, she seemed completely out of it this time around. If her awareness was any worse, she might have walked into the brick wall. Fortunately, she didn't, but that was how bad Luka saw it.

The other reason he didn't approach was because someone beat him to it. Bayonetta paused hearing unfamiliar footsteps follow her. It was louder than Luka's footsteps, so she didn't even know he was following close behind her. Now that she was forced to become more aware of her surroundings, she realized that she almost lost her way in the alleyway. She groaned at this and knew that she probably needed to fly out so she wasn't wasting anymore time.

"I don't know who you are stalking a lady, but I suggest you come out now before I get angry."

The other person that was following Bayonetta decided that it wasn't a good idea to hide in the shadows no longer. He slowly made his presence known by stepping out of the darkness. The Umbra Witch was surprised that a youthful individual appeared before her.

"…And you are?"

"Oh, I'm someone who means no harm to you." The boy spoke. Bayonetta glared at him completely not convinced that he was anything but dangerous. His smug smile gave that away.

"Don't play dumb, little one. I know you were following me around. It's very rude."

What Bayonetta didn't say was how he could see her despite being in the other world. That alone was suspicious. The young lad realized he wasn't fooling anyone and decided to drop the act.

"Well at least you're not a gullible witch." The boy began. "I guess I might have…lured the demons your way to see how you would react. I'm surprised that you show no mercy regardless if its angels or demons."

A human that was capable of summoning demons? Was this boy a necromancer or a demon summoner of sorts? These types of people were rare, but were very dangerous. She would be better off shooting his head and be done with it, but this kid wasn't going to be dying anytime soon.

"I guess I should introduce myself, so you don't kill me yet. My codename is Sapphire, but my real name is Abel Narisia. People should know who I am, but people use colors and gems as their codename nowadays. I do hope you know that I am an information broker of sorts in the galaxy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Was the first thing to escape from Bayonetta's mouth. "First you try to kill me, and now you give me important information. Surely, you expect me to abuse this knowledge."

If Bayonetta's memory weren't so bad, she would recall that she did meet this boy somewhere. Twenty years of wandering around doing nothing but hunt angels did not do her justice.

Sapphire, folded his arms waiting for Bayonetta to say something else. When she continued to think to herself, he decided to continue the conversation.

"Let me get straight to the point. I need a partner to help take down a troublesome demon. As much of a lone wolf I am, this particular demon is a slippery one. If I had someone who excelled in battling angels and demons, I feel my job will go more smoothly."

Bayonetta wasn't thrilled with his straightforward request. "And what sort of demon is it?"

"A mindflayer that goes by the name of Krey. You had a recent encounter with him, did you not?"

The Umbra Witch paused at the name before registering that he was referring to the one that attacked Corrin and Cory in the Smash Brothers Realm.

"…How convenient that you would know the species and name of this person…"

"It is not convenient. Remember, things have changed outside of the Smash Brothers Realm. There are more wanted demons than ever before. They take advantage of the fact that some of the best bounty hunters and demon slayers are not available because of the tournament. This mindflayer is a problem now because he has recently teamed up with a powerful dragon that has granted him powerful magic beyond compare."

"Powerful…dragon…" Bayonetta murmured to herself.

"Yes. I do not have the name of this dragon yet, but I do know that this dragon is notorious for sending demons to go after his children. The mindflayer had almost captured the dragon's son, but a certain witch standing in front of me prevented that from happening."

Bayonetta glared at the human in front of her. This was clearly not a normal person. Granted, information of the incident probably spread fast, so it wouldn't be a surprise if one of the commentators reported this and he happened to hear it. Still, information about Corrin's father was scarce. Not even Corrin would talk much about him, so Sapphire having this information was suspicious.

"If there was someone who could take the mindflayer out, that would be a load off my back. Since you recently had a run in with Krey, I would hope that you would be willing to loan me your powers."

Bayonetta didn't respond to Sapphire's request immediately. Sapphire smirked seeing how affected she was by Krey's encounter.

So Krey was right that the dragon prince that lost his memory is her main weakness at the moment.

"…What do you know about this mindflayer?" Bayonetta asked. She needed to make sure it was the same one just in case Sapphire tried to pull a fast one.

"Besides the mindflayer obtaining powers from a dragon whose powers are extraordinary? If you were close to the realm that dragon came from, you would be able to feel his suffocating presence." Bayonetta was not pleased with this information, so Sapphire continued. "Mindflayers are capable of ripping souls out of a target's body."

"Corrin's soul is still in tact…"

"…But he lost something from his encounter with Krey."

"…His…memories."

Sapphire smirked. "Correct. See? I don't have to explain everything to you."

"What is your point?"

Bayonetta was losing her patience. Even if Sapphire needed her help, he still intended to annoy the living hell out of her.

"Mindflayers like Krey who fail to escape with their target tend to take souls to eat later. Even if someone were to survive an encounter, they wouldn't live for long if their soul were eaten. Without their soul, they are just a hollow shell."

She still had time or at least she thinks she does. Time was different in the Smash Realm, and ten days might have given the mindflayer enough time to do some real damage. From what Dark Pit said, there didn't seem to be any damage, but if what Sapphire was saying was true, then he was still at risk. She needed to return to Corrin and protect him. If not protect him from the shadows, she needed to deal with Krey.

"If the soul is already taken, but the target is alive, then his memories are all Krey has. If he were to be defeated, you could take back the soul and return it to its former owner, and if that were to happen…well…then things should return to normal."

The idea of everything returning to normal excited Bayonetta. She wouldn't need to hide out in Jeanne's apartment while the angry Smashers waited for her return. She wouldn't have to deal with a Corrin with no memories of their time together. She would no longer take things for granted once things were put back together.

Sapphire smirked seeing the look she had in that moment. Bayonetta noticed too late and shifted to a more serious expression.

"D-Don't think I believe you." Bayonetta said rather quickly. "You just intrigued me."

"You don't need to believe me." Sapphire told her. "You just need to listen to what I have to say and come to your own conclusion."

Seeing that the Umbra Witch wasn't going to back down from her previous statement, Sapphire decided to get straight to the point again.

"Think of it like this. If you were to help me and we were to succeed getting rid of Krey and getting your friend's memories back, then that is the best case scenario. Everything will return to your normal in the Smash Brothers Realm and the incident can be put behind you. The worst case scenario is simply Krey being killed. He won't be able to steal anyone else's memories again.

"Oh…"

"So what do you say? Will you help me or not?"

"…Alright. I will work with you…but don't try anything funny, or you'll regret it."

Sapphire's smirk only widened at her answer. Bayonetta loathed the expression he wore. His smugness rubbed her the wrong way and she doubted him even more. However, if there were a chance to restore Corrin's memories, she would take it. Now that he reeled her in, Sapphire decided to move onto the next step.

"The area here is too depressing. Let's talk in a more private area about our deal."

"I didn't make a deal with you, and why would I go with someone I don't trust?"

"What? You think I'm going to attack you in my private headquarters? Unlikely. I'm a businessman and you're one of the most powerful fighters in the galaxy. Why would I risk my life trying to grope a feel? Besides, you already have someone in mind who will do that."

Gray eyes leered at Sapphire.

"Excuse me?"

"I kid. I kid. You already agreed to work with me, but I wouldn't want any demons to be spying on us. Krey does have connections with some demons in Inferno. I wouldn't want him to find out what I have in store for him. He might do something drastic if he were to find out. He might even hurt that amnesic dragon again."

Sapphire already made his point, but he had no problem hammering the point down to the Umbra Witch. Bayonetta failed to realize that she was complying with his wishes. The young lad extended his hand out to her.

"We don't have that much time. The sooner we leave, the faster we can get things done. You don't want to keep your prince waiting."

Bayonetta snarled as she reluctantly grabbed his hand. She wanted to jump away almost immediately. His hands were as cold as a corpse. Sapphire was already pale, but his frozen hands sealed a deal. An ominous aura circled around the two. The Umbra Witch gripped on Sapphire's hand tightly and disappeared.

Luka watched as Bayonetta left with the mysterious man. He rushed out of the shadows and rushed toward where the two were standing.

"Where did they go? Who was that brat?" Luka asked out loud knowing he wasn't going to get an answer. He groaned. "Bayonetta, I hope you know what you're doing."

Notes:

Me: TBC with 10229 words. Notes!

1. Akane is a recent OC specifically for the Bayonetta universe. Her backstory is still unknown since she appears normal here. As stated from Jeanne, she is from Japan that traveled to Europe to learn. However, she's a slacker in school and a huge daydreamer. She is Jeanne's most troublesome student. Jeanne often takes Akane to the apartment to privately tutor her and has done this recently with Bayonetta in Smash (as it prevents Jeanne from being lonely). She'll have an important role later probably where more information will be dropped. She is not a normal high school girl.

2. As the name implies, Sapphire is a member of the Army of Darkness. He is the lone wolf but is often partnered up with Ruby and Emerald (yes the reference is there). He is an information broker that gives information to people for a price or assassinates people for an even higher price. In this situation, his goal is simply to "break" Bayonetta. He's interested in how people respond to difficult situations in their life and someone as strong as Bayonetta would be a huge challenge for him. He's not trustworthy in the slightest, but he has his way with words. Bayonetta needs to be looking out for him and remember that he's part of the AoD if she wants to avoid trouble.

Yes, the name Sapphire gave Bayonetta is his real name. He's a liar, but he's being truthful here to gain her trust. He also is willing to sell the mindflayer under the bus for the sake of the mission. He's working with Krey of course, but he does have intentions to throw him under the bus if things were to turn sour. At the moment, Bayonetta doesn't expect Sapphire being hired by Krey to get her, so she goes along with it now. What he'll ask from Bayonetta will be shown in the next chapter.