Disclaimer: Fire Emblem does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me. Sad face.
The battle was over. Hundreds of dead soldiers lay scattered over the field, faces marred in the surprise of death. Some distance away on a hill stood Ephraim, watching the post-battle cleanup with misery-laden eyes.
He felt a presence behind him. Slowly turning, Ephraim saw his twin, eyes cast downward, standing back a few steps where she had paused. She looked as if she were almost afraid to approach him. "Eirika?" he gave her a quizzical look. "You should be back with the supply train. You don't need to see any more than you already have."
"These people…even though they were our enemies, isn't our job to protect them? They were our friends not all that long ago…what happened, Ephraim? Why are we being tested like this?" Eirika still refused to make eye contact with her twin, afraid of what she would find there. Would his eyes hold the bloodlust of so many of the other soldiers? Or would they be filled with a sadness that would destroy the only morale she had left?
Ephraim took a few steps toward his sister, standing directly in front of her. "Eirika, look at me." He commanded, although it was not unkind. Reluctantly, Eirika did as she was told. What she saw in his eyes surprised her. They were definitely filled with a weary sadness, but strangely enough, they held determination and hope. "I don't know why Grado did what it did, sister, but I am sure we will get to the bottom of this. Until then, we have to be strong. Don't give into despair or hate. You know as well as I do what the duties of rulers are. We must adhere to these as best we can in spite of the hardships we have faced. You understand, don't you?"
Eirika nodded. "Of course, brother. I know that we must present a strong face for our troops and for our country, otherwise all hope would be lost. I know that we must fight to protect the citizens of Renais. But that doesn't mean I like it." She paused, took a shaky breath, and looked down again. "That doesn't mean that it doesn't haunt me at night. All the people I've killed, the people that I should have been protecting, all the people I was unable to save…What kind of ruler treats her subjects in such a way? I know it's war, but is there no honor even in battle anymore?"
This time, it was Ephraim's turn to look down. "I know. I feel the same way. Everything that we've ever believed has been tested in these battles. But we have to make Father proud of us. Sometimes that's the only thing that can keep me going. Make Father proud by rebuilding his beautiful country and restoring the lives and honor of the people who live in it. So we must be strong."
Eirika knew he spoke the truth. If they weren't strong enough to make it through these dark days and rebuild the kingdom, then who could be? After all, Ephraim had always been right about these things. Even when he was a little child, he had always been able to say something that would instantly make her feel better simply because she knew it was inherently true. Smiling, Eirika let loose a sigh. "Thank you, brother. I almost lost hope. Thank you for restoring my faith, if only enough to get me through the next battle." Ephraim looked up, surprised. Had he really said something so moving? It certainly hadn't seemed that way to him, but Eirika had always been soft-hearted, something that had never seemed a bad thing until the day Grado invaded. Then he had been afraid she would break beyond repair.
Sometimes it was good to be wrong.
Saying nothing, Ephraim closed the gap between his twin and himself, giving her a gentle hug. For all he knew, it may be the last one he ever got to give her. But until Renais was restored to its former glory and all the people he loved were safe, he wouldn't give up. He would stay strong, if for no other reason than to have the chance to hug his sister again.
He hoped that soon, they would be hugging in joy.