満開 (Mankai) - full bloom

When she had arrived in Izumo, she never felt like a foreigner. There had been something placating about the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the architecture from the shōji doors to the tatami mats... It was never a far comfort from the inside walls of Shirasagi. Izumo held a reputation in neutrality, but sat on the cusp of Hoshidan soil. Sometimes she wonders what became of that peaceful village, what occurred after the awkward reunion with Corrin. Did the Nohrian army leave them in peace? Or did they ravage the tranquility much like they had with Hoshido? A part of her is curious, but she can never bring herself to physically confirm her worries.

The kingdom of Askr is nothing like Hoshido, and Sakura feels further from home than she's ever felt before. At least, she thinks, she's not holed up in a crudely erected tent watched by Nohrian guards. Here she has freedom, here there is no hostility...

…but there are no familiar faces.

She recalls the strong confusion that trickled down her spine at Commander Anna's words:

"A hero from the World of Birthright! You're the first one, Princess Sakura."

Back home, the war between Hoshido and Nohr had ended in heavy casualties. Raijinto and Fujin Yumi had returned to them without their owners, Hinoka took the crown meant for their eldest brother out of responsibility, and Sakura played the role of ambassador. It had been at least a month before she woke up to a group of strangers and a gray orb at her own feet. There had been a crack off center, as if someone had fired a projectile at it.

Why was she here? Hoshido needed her – Hinoka needed her. Sakura had later confronted the prince and princess of Askr, asked if there was a way to return home. The look they shared was answer enough.

This world was not going to relinquish its hold until she fulfilled her purpose. But what purpose, and why her? Why not someone strong like her big sister? She couldn't fight – she couldn't defend Fort Jinya, even when Takumi had taught her everything she needed to know about archery. In her hands, the bow was as useful as swinging a Bloom Festal.

Sakura's nights are spent tossing and turning as the questions shuffle noisily in her head.

Early dawn finds her in the mess hall with a full tray adjacent to Sharena. Sakura can't bring herself to stomach the foreign food. The cereal flakes in her bowl soak the milk and paste to her teeth unpleasantly. Though said to be nutritious, the meal is tasteless on her tongue and she rinses it with a heavy gulp of water. Sakura sits quietly, eyes slammed down to her hands clasped in her lap. Her palms feel sweaty, and she worries she will not be able to hold Fear when the time comes.

"...So, I think another day in the fourth stratum of the Training Tower should be enough for you. Then we can assist my brother and Commander Anna in the next world," Sharena concludes, her eyes flitting over her small team. "I'll be with you, and I'm pretty good so you'll have nothing to worry about!"

Despite her unease, Sakura does find light comfort in Sharena's positivity. It was Sharena who assured Sakura there was a way home, and if she needed to return to Hoshido that badly, they would double their efforts. Sharena reminds her of Hana, her loyal retainer— Ah, perhaps it was not wise to draw similarities between the Askr Princess and her best friend.

Though it is of little surprise, Sakura does not recognize anyone in her group. There's only four of them including Sharena, both male. One is a stoic man with blonde hair who Sakura assumes is from a tribe due to the feathers and unique accessories. She's unsure how this man believes not wearing a shirt will protect him from battle, but she's not too unfamiliar with soldiers wearing little armor... or lack thereof...

(Sakura makes a mental note to double her efforts in healing today.)

Her last teammate is a boy around her age with a shock of red hair. His clothing looks formal, regal almost, and though he looks young, Sakura can tell he's listening intently. She hadn't seen a brand or emblem stitched into his cape, so she's unsure if he even hails from a kingdom... But he must, for a villager would rarely be seen in cloths so fine. If not a prince, then perhaps a commander wise beyond his years.

Sharena interjects Sakura's train of thought. "If you're feeling confidant, maybe we could move to the fifth stratum. But for now, let's take it easy... Oh! Right, we should probably do introductions, huh? You're all pretty new to this world, so I'll be giving you commands today, but it'll be easier if we all know one another," she stands with the intent of leaving. "We'll talk along the way; it's about time we head out."

At first, Sakura has a difficult time maintaining eye contact with the older man; he's rather intimidating, not unlike the Nohrian army. There's a different demeanor that separates him from the harsh Nohrian soldiers, she concludes.

He introduces himself as Hawkeye, the Desert Guardian of his home village. The words that leave his mouth are heavy and slow, as if unused to the common tongue. His tone of voice is the opposite of what Sakura had been expecting, and she feels her shoulders relax.

The boy with the red hair is Roy, son of Pherae's Eliwood. Sakura doesn't know where Pherae is, but perhaps it was one of the kingdoms in Roy's home – it sounded too important otherwise. Compared to Hawkeye, he warms up to the team quicker, and perhaps Sharena assigns him to Sakura for this reason.

Their walk to the Training Tower is short, and Sakura can see the tower standing proudly against the backdrop of a clear sky. En route, Sharena asks her to introduce herself, and she does so. Sakura omits details of the war and its consequences. She doesn't know why, but the modesty from her teammates may have something to do with it. To them, she is just a princess of Hoshido, and she bows, stutters how it's nice to meet them. Sharena steps in encouragingly, praises Sakura for her magic, something she had left out in her introduction.

Sharena leads them into the gaping mouth of the tower. There's a spiral of stairs, but Sakura is surprised when she instead directs them to a gold pedestal supporting a peculiar ring woven of ancient stone. It's unlike the rings worn on fingers, instead a large artifact with cyan inscriptions written in unknown alphabet.

"To reach higher stratums, we use this ring called Draupnir," Sharena explains. "If you have a stratum in mind, you'll be able to instantly warp to your destination. Pretty interesting, huh? Just make sure you all agree or else the ring may send you to a random floor and there's no telling what will happen. The floor you end up on could be the highest stratum or the lowest. Since this is your first time here, it's best we avoid that."

The inscriptions glow as Sharena's hand hovers over a character. "These are all written in Askr numbers, meaning you should probably brush up on some reading while you're here. It's not too difficult; you'll only have to know one through ten! For now, we want four, and since I'm here today, I'll do it for you.

Enemies on the fourth stratum aren't difficult, but they can be dangerous if you're no careful. Something else to keep in mind is the layout; the floors change each time you go in them. It's a bit difficult to tell if we'll be separated or wind up together. That's why you must prepare for the worse, and why most teams should develop strategies before going in. The first thing you want to do if separated, is regroup. If there are enemies you have an advantage over, you can challenge them, but rendezvous is important – especially on higher stratums. It's important we all have weapons because we may have to break walls to reach different areas."

Sharena pauses, gaze averting to Sakura. "I believe the Fear staff you have is capable of inflicting damage. As a healer, your power may be weaker, but the good thing about staves is you can slow down enemies," her eyebrows furrow in concern." I'm sorry, Sakura, I don't know as much about weapons as Commander Anna... But I'll be sure to have her talk with you about them after our training."

Sakura nods. "I-I'ts okay, Sharena. You've been very helpful, and I-I can fight too."

It's not a complete lie, but Sakura has only trained physically with the bow. The festals back in Hoshido could not inflict physical damage. Freeze or Silence a foe were options, but she's never had to use spells offensively. Her training as a Shrine Maiden did not teach her the darker side to magic.

Here she is armed with a staff and no bow.

"...If we're all ready, let's go. We'll see how one round goes then decide if we want to continue."

Preparations complete, Sharena touches what Sakura assumes is the number four on the Draupnir ring, and light floods her vision. She clenches her eyes at the onslaught, sees blinding white behind her eyelids, and just as quick as it comes, it fades. A heavy silence fills her ears, and Sakura cautiously opens one eye.

Her heart stutters in her chest.

She is surrounded by large, gray stone, and since her stand at Fort Jinya, Sakura is trapped with no way to escape.

Fate must be against her. There was no way she could break the walls surrounding her with the staff. She raised it in shaking hands, but the stone remained firm. Frustration blooms in her chest, and she can feel herself tremble. She knows what to do – regroup – but how can she when Fear is coughing up weak sparks of magic? If she listens closely, she can hear voices, but she's unable to identify them from the density of the walls. She knows they're looking for her...

...One last time.

Sakura grabs the staff firmly, knuckles bleaching from the pressure, and she squeezes her eyes shut. She calls on every drop of magic that runs in her veins. It was a different type of weapon, but she could do it – she had to. She tries to remember what Orochi told her about scrolls, how the magic was different, but not impossible. Orochi respected Sakura not just as a princess but as a Diviner, even if Sakura had never delved in offensive arts. But with just a little push, maybe she could make something happen.

Maybe she could escape without hard-tipped arrows.

A thunderous rumble shatters her concentration and her eyes fly open, relief lancing through her.

She did it! She managed to—

The soldier with the axe stares her down through veiled eyes. His helmet is metal, his armor is metal, everything about him screams Nohr, and Sakura can feel her conscious shutting down. Panic settles in her stomach, her legs are pumped with lead, and suddenly she can't move. She sees the axe arc above his head, and her feet stumble back in a dance of confusion.

She's suddenly back in Fort Jinya, and soon the Nohrian will hoist her to her feet harshly, and she'll feel the kiss of the blade. A voice rings around her, and she wants to cover her ears against the cacophony of war.

Instead, the blade protrudes through his abdomen, and the man topples. Fort Jinya disappears from her sight as he crumples at her feet. Dead.

Sakura feels like she's going to be sick. And God, he needs help, but why on earth isn't he bleeding?

"Princess Sakura, lets hurry!"

In her dazed vision, she makes out a hand, and not a thought crosses her mind as she takes it. She doesn't know which one of her teammates it is, but it feels safe, and she feels herself gently being lifted to her feet. Sakura blinks hard against the soldier that nearly killed her, tries to push the image from her mind. She can do this – she did it once, she can do it again.

"Hey, can you walk?"

Sakura nods. It's Roy, she realizes numbly, he saved her. She forces words out of her swiftly-drying throat. "I-I'm so sorry, I-I should've..." she shakes her head vigorously against the pressure of tears. 'Not now,' she scolds herself. "He's dead, i-isn't he?"

Something akin to guilt flits through Roy's eyes, and he looks from her to the motionless body. "He wouldn't put down his weapon." Unspoken: I didn't want to kill him. Roy nudges her arm. "We need to find Sharena and Hawkeye. Stay close to me."

Her response is silence. She follows as Roy navigates her away from the temporary prison, the body of the axe-man dissolving in a crescendo of shadow.

They don't look back.

Note: This has been cross-posted from ao3.