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A/N: Spoilers! If you haven't played Birthright and you don't want to know what happens, don't read!
This was it. Xander was prepared to kill Corrin to protect his homeland.
He stared at what use to be his beloved sibling. This time he wouldn't hold back.
He put all his anger, hurt, and sorrow into that last swing of his sword. All his focus was on Corrin, but what appeared before him was so much worse.
Elise.
He felt his blade make contact before he fully understood what was happening. It slid across her body so easily, like she was nothing. That was how quickly everything fell apart.
He'd taken down many soldiers in battle before. He'd cut open many people. He'd watched them cry out. He'd watched their faces twist in agony. None of the horrors he'd witnessed compared to what stood before him now. Nothing would ever prepare him for the look of pain on Elise's face as his sword ripped through her.
His eyes widened in horror as she hit the ground.
"ELISE!" He cried.
No. Please, no.
He threw his sword aside. It hit the ground, clanging. The noise echoed through the dreadfully silent castle room.
A terrible sickness filled his stomach as he ran to her limp body. He gathered her in his arms. She was so small. So young. His precious baby sister.
This couldn't be happening. Not Elise.
"Elise!" He was shaking so badly it was hard to tell if she was even breathing. For a terrible moment, he thought she was already gone. "Please! Speak to me!"
The young princess opened her eyes.
Her breath was labored and her voice was choked, but she was speaking. She was telling him to lay down his sword. He tried to focus on her words, but he could hardly hear. His head was pounding so loudly as his mind tried to fully understand what was happening.
In his shock, he thought everything might be alright. Because she was Elise and she was always bouncing around, cute and playful. Because her family needed her cheerful smile to go on. And because she was his little sister and he would never let anything bad happen to her.
"Nohr needs more from you… Not just your strength… " She said.
She groaned in pain and what ever was left of his heart, broke.
"What we need… is caring. And a warm hand…" Her little hand grabbed his and brought it to her face. "And tears…"
Then it hit him like a train. His sister was dying. His baby sister. He would never hear her voice again. He would never see her smile. He would never feel her hugs. And he would never be happy ever again.
His eyes filled with tears and he cried for the first time in who knows how long. He turned his face away from her.
How could this happen? She was too young. Too sweet. Why did she have to jump in front of Corrin?
Blood gushed from her wound, turning her dress crimson, but she continued to talk. She reached up and touched his cheek, forcing him to look at her. She looked into his eyes and smiled. She smiled through the pain. For him.
"This is the way," She told him. "Try to be at peace…"
He never realized how strong she was. She was stronger than he was. Stronger than anyone he'd ever known. In her eyes, he saw a kind of strength he could only dream of.
But then a tear slipped down her cheek as her eyes closed. Her hand left his face and hit the ground.
In an instant, all that strength was gone. All that life and beauty. It was all gone. And it took his sister with it.
He wept as he held the lifeless body. He remembered when he first held her as a little baby. He remembered watching her grow. He remembered laughing around the dinner table with her and the rest of his family.
And then he remembered that she was gone and he remembered why.
He set her down gently and stood.
An intense angry filled him as he looked at Corrin, who looked to be in shock.
This war had taken too much. He was ending it today. No matter what happened. He would finish this. For Elise.