Author's Note: Yen'fay is about eight years older than Say'ri in this story. These two are like my favorite characters in the whole game, and I actually cried when Yen'fay died... The weird thing is, there are literally no fics about them—thus, I decided to write this. The bond they share is inimitable, so I hope I did justice to it. Enjoy!
Burnt Bridges
...
...
She is eight when they share their dreams with each other for the first time.
With every breath he takes, Yen'fay knows he wants to be a swordmaster. His father is the king of Chon'sin, a legendary swordsman who knows no equal in his skills with the blade. This is everything his son aspires to be. He trains harder, pushes himself to the limit, tests his boundaries and breaks them, so that one day he might be able to sit upon that throne and have people bow down to him, not due to his heritage, but because of his pure skill and strength.
"I wanna be a swordmaster too," eight-year-old Say'ri declares, and he laughs and rumples her hair. She won't have any of that, though, and ducks away indignantly. "Don't laugh! I'm serious." In her eyes is a fierce expression he's never seen before, and somehow, it lets him know that once she sets her mind on something, she won't stop at anything until she achieves it.
"Okay, okay," he replies, resting his hand lightly on her head. She doesn't protest. "We'll be swordmasters together."
At that, her eyes shine with excitement, and in her exuberant expression is a lifetime of hope.
Reluctantly, Yen'fay lets her throw her arms around him, and even though she's choking him, he doesn't complain. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wonders what he did to deserve such adoration; maybe it is because he's bigger than her and little girls always depend on their big brothers.
Then he hears their mother calling them inside for dinner, and he turns to his younger sister with a smile. "Race you home!"
He runs with the wind on his face, and she follows, and they laugh like kids should.
...
...
She is eleven when they start training together.
Yen'fay is much bigger and stronger than his sister, so he suggests that she go find someone her size to train with, but she blatantly refuses to spar with anyone but him. Her insistence surprises him a little—he hadn't known she adored him, looked up to him this much. Nevertheless, he always feels bad when he beats her. Sometimes he wants to go easy on her, but if Say'ri knew he was holding back, she would be furious.
Even though they're using practice swords, Yen'fay can't help wincing as he whacks her with the flat of his blade and she collapses to the dust with a small cry. He didn't put his full power in the blow, but it's enough to knock the wind out of her.
He hears a sniffle.
Not again. He has to restrain himself from sighing. When Say'ri insisted on training with him, she knew what was coming; in fact, she was practically asking for this.
Despite himself, Yen'fay offers his hand to her. His sister takes it gratefully and he pulls her to her feet. He notices that she received some nasty cuts on her knees when they scraped the ground, and now they are welling with fresh blood. Pretending he doesn't see her tears, he says, "Let's go inside and get you a bandage."
Say'ri grips his hand tightly as they leave the training area, and his face flushes red with embarrassment because he's almost an adult, now, and he doesn't want to be seen with his younger sister everywhere he goes. But when he cleans her cuts up and fixes them with a bandage, she gives him a smile as bright as he sun, and he decides not to be angry.
...
...
She is fifteen when Walhart attacks Chon'sin.
Under the cover of the night, fields are burned, whole villages are razed, and the palace is invaded. Dozens of Valmese soldiers storm into the castle grounds, ready to destroy anything they can, kill anyone they can get their hands on. His parents demand that Say'ri remain in a safe place, but Yen'fay hates feeling helpless. He wants to fight too, and so he grabs his sword and joins the rest of the Chon'sin soldiers in defending his homeland.
"Brother!"
At the unmistakable sound of his sister's voice, his heart sinks and he turns around to find her rushing after him with sword in hand, eyes alight. "Let me fight! I want to serve my country, too!"
"No, Say'ri," he says calmly, trying to be as patient as possible with her. It is admittedly hard—he is itching to go out and beat up those insolent Valmese warriors who believe themselves to be unconquerable. "It's too dangerous out there, and Mother and Father don't want you to get hurt. Just stay in a safe place, okay?"
"B-but..."
"Listen to me." Yen'fay's voice comes out sternly and in a tone that allows no argument. He doesn't know where this sudden authority came from, but he can see that Say'ri knows better than to disobey.
She slumps and turns to go, but out of nowhere, he feels bad. Before she leaves, he puts a hand on her shoulder and assures her, "I know you meant well. When you get bigger, Chon'sin will really welcome a brave warrior like you."
Her disappointed frown completely disappears when he says that, replaced by a grateful smile. "Good luck in the fight, Brother," she tells him, and then they go their separate ways.
...
...
It is a chaotic battle, and since Chon'sin is a humble, impoverished country with a small army, they are greatly outnumbered. But they continue to fight back, knowing that they are fighting for their lives and their freedom, until a horrified cry goes up among the warriors:
"The king and queen have been murdered!"
And at first, Yen'fay doesn't believe it.
His father is the most skilled swordsman in the whole land, indomitable, invincible. Sometimes he even believed, without a doubt, that his father was unable to be harmed by any other mortal on the planet.
But sooner or later, just as one has to accept the truth, Yen'fay must learn to submit to his worst nightmare, even if it breaks him apart inside. After all, he is a man now. He can no longer believe in happy endings.
He remembers a distinct spring afternoon when he was a young boy, perhaps around ten years of age. He had just finished training with his father for the day, and they were sitting under a cherry blossom tree, watching the soft pink petals flutter to the ground in the light breeze. Tucked in a sense of comfort and security, he thought life would be like this forever.
"Father, when I grow up, I want to be just like you," Yen'fay had said. His father had laughed and put his hand lightly on his head.
"I know you will make a great king someday."
Now his parents are gone, his country is vanquished, and he does not want to be the king anymore.
What will you do now, little king? A voice sneers in his head, and it might have been Walhart's, it might have been his own, but right now all Yen'fay can think is that this cannot be happening.
...
...
She is sixteen when he decides to join Walhart.
Until now, Yen'fay has never realized how lonesome, how stressful it is to be the ruler of a whole country. He has so many responsibilities and duties, and the burden on his shoulders does not ever lighten but continues to grow heavier with each passing day. And most of all, he worries about Say'ri's safety, because there is no benign place in Chon'sin now. Valmese soldiers are stationed across the whole country, ordered to kill any individual who shows any sign of resistance or rebellion.
Finally, after several days of considering, he agrees to join the Valmese Imperial Army. It is the hardest decision he has ever had to make. He knows he will seem like a coward and a traitor to the citizens of his country, but he doesn't care about his reputation as much as he loves his sister. In exchange, he makes Excellus promise to keep Say'ri safe. He is not stupid, he doesn't trust the lying, cheating worm at all, but he is willing to do anything for his sister's survival during these violent times.
Yen'fay doesn't have the chance to tell Say'ri about his alliance with Walhart until a few days later, the last time he will see her for nearly two years. To his surprise, she has already heard about it and confronts him furiously, looking close to tears. His heart sinks, as he can predict exactly what she's going to say.
"Brother! What on earth are you thinking? Why would you join the man who destroyed our country and murdered our parents?"
"Say'ri..." he begins, but she doesn't let him continue.
"Why?! Answer me!"
He yearns to tell her everything: how he has had to stress over this day and night, how much he wishes he did not have to ally with Walhart. More than anything, he wants to avenge the death of their parents, whose brutal murder plagues him at night and haunts him in the form of cruel nightmares. He knows that his sister, of all people, would understand his troubles. But he cannot reveal such things to her, for her own sake.
When Yen'fay remains silent, Say'ri clenches her fists in outrage. He can tell that she is about to cry, and however much he longs to comfort her, he knows that he cannot.
"You... I..." For once, she looks lost for words. "I hate you!" she cries out suddenly, and then bursts into tears. "I will never forgive you for this, Yen'fay, for as long as I live!"
With that, she whirls around and runs away, disappearing down the endless corridor. Vainly, he takes a step in the direction she fled, but he knows it is no use. Even if he is able to find where she escaped to, she will refuse to talk to him.
It suddenly occurs to him that she called him Yen'fay, not Brother, as if she is ashamed to call him her brother any longer. And for the first time he realizes that without his parents or his sister, he is utterly alone in this world.
The next morning, Say'ri is gone. He knows he shouldn't be surprised, after everything that happened, but her disappearance breaks his heart anyway.
...
...
She is seventeen when she starts forming the resistance.
He first hears of it from Excellus, who whines to Walhart about how resistance is increasing, and how it makes things ridiculously annoying. Walhart does not respond except for a brief grunt, confident that they will be able to strike down their opponents with ease. However, Yen'fay isn't so sure about that, especially because it is Say'ri who is leading the resistance, and he knows his sister's fierce determination to defeat the man who murdered their parents once and for all.
He wonders if she means to kill him, too, or if she will spare his life. But as soon as the thought crosses his mind, he knows it is no question. Say'ri will most definitely kill him, and she will do it without hesitation.
There is an aching in his heart when he wonders since when have they grown so far apart.
It is not long until Yen'fay hears that Say'ri has joined the army of a man named Chrom, the Exalt of Ylisse. He has heard many things about this man, mostly about how Chrom leads his army with unwavering leadership and loyalty, how he stands by his people through storm and fire. It makes him happy to hear that his sister is with such a powerful group of comrades.
They will protect her better than he ever could.
...
...
She is eighteen when they meet for the last time.
It is the moment he has been dreading. He and his sister are standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, she with the Ylissean army, and he among the Valmese forces. For a moment, their eyes lock and the look she gives him is not hatred, but utter contempt and disgust, as if she does not even know him anymore. To him, it is worse than hate, but knows he deserves it.
If he is honest with himself, Yen'fay had always known it was inevitable that he and his sister should meet in battle. From the time he became king and joined Walhart, he knew they were always destined to fight each other. But in a high-stakes battle like this, only one of them can survive, and he knows that Chrom's army deserves to win. They fight for what is right, for peace and justice.
His father would have been disappointed in him—he is fighting for something he does not truly believe in. For a moment, Yen'fay envies the Ylissean soldiers, who have the freedom to fight for what they think is right, to follow their own ideals. If he had made a different decision, perhaps he would have ended up fighting alongside Chrom.
But it is too late for regret.
From the moment the flags raise and the trumpet sounds, signaling the start of battle, he already knows which army will emerge victorious.
Say'ri finally approaches him from among the ranks of the Ylissean army, and raises her sword. "Face me, Yen'fay." Her teeth are clenched tight, and he can tell she is on the brink of tears. She has always cried easily, he remembers.
"Let your blade speak for what you did not say before!"
...
...
She has grown strong in the two years they haven't seen each other, and the fact makes him proud, although he is not exactly sure why. In battle, she moves more smoothly and fluidly than ever, her strikes as swift as lightning. Her sword is practically an extension of her arm, and he can see in her eyes that she is confident in her skills with the blade.
And in the end, it is not hard for Yen'fay to let her triumph.
Say'ri stands over him as he clutches at the mortal wound in his side and groans in agony, crimson blood spilling out of him, spreading quickly across the rocks. Although it could not have been a mere accident that she went for the fatal strike, she gazes down at him in horror and shock, as if she wished she could undo what she had just done. "B-Brother... you went easy on me!"
He manages to nod weakly, and at his confirmation of her suspicions, she takes a shaky step forward before falling to her knees beside him.
"But—why?"
"Sister, all I ever intended was to keep you safe." He closes his eyes.
The pain is growing with each second, almost to the point where it is utterly unbearable, and he is sure that his torso must be covered in blood by now. But it is all worth it, because now he can die in peace, with the knowledge that he has succeeded in protecting his sister. That was his only mission, in this life.
"Wait! Don't go, not yet!" Her voice breaks into a sob, and despite himself, he lets a weary smile come over his face. It seems that he has been cursed with the ability to make her cry in any situation.
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me...for everything..."
At this, Say'ri breaks down. After a moment's hesitation, Yen'fay embraces his sister and holds her close, just like he used to do when they were children. He lets her sob into his shoulder as the world spins around him and gradually begins to grow blurrier, and black spots start to stain the edges of his vision. He knows he is dying, but for the first time in almost three years he feels pure joy. He is with his sister again, and she has forgiven him, and everything is as it should be.
He revels in this brief moment of peace, like a ray of sunlight peeking between the clouds after a storm, spreading its golden light across the bloody, war-torn land down below. And it heals, restores all the damage they have done, repairs the bridges that they have burnt.
She has always chased after him, and he has always run; but now it is time for him to let her catch up, even if it's just for this moment.
...
...
end