Lots of people have been asking me for another Fire Emblem oneshot lately. Of course, with the release of Fates so close, I am happy to oblige such a request. This is a short but sweet little story I put together between Corrin and Sakura. Please keep in mind as you read this, I have been dodging practically everything about the plot of Fates to avoid spoilers.
However, I've still done my very best to stay true to Sakura's character. I hope you enjoy this project. Special thanks to all of my returning readers for their continued support!
Cherry Blossoms
Corrin did not want to fight his brothers and sisters in the kingdom of Nohr. He cared for them all dearly, especially his brother Leo and his youngest sister Elise. However much he wanted to end this peacefully, there was simply no choice. Siding with his siblings of Hoshido branded him a traitor, one that King Garon ordered destroyed at all costs. Battle lines drawn in the sand dictated nothing but hatred between the two kingdoms. A pair of nations that believed in the power of two very different masters, one of purest light, and one of deepest darkness.
Unfortunately, the young dragon underestimated the will of his foe in the heat of battle. A simple dodge could have saved him from the danger, but a twinge of fear still resonated in his heart. When Corrin returned to the Hoshido capital, he received a greeting of thunderous boots and frantic breathing.
"Corrin! Brother! What happened to you? Your arm… that gash…." Those fearful words from Sakura rang out in his head with the volume of ringing church bells.
"I promise you, Sakura… I will be alright. All I need to do is rest. My dragon blood will assist in the healing." He needed to say something to put her mind at ease. Such a look of abstract horror on the delicate face of his younger sibling was enough to break his heart.
"No, you will not! What if the rot of infection sets in? Dragon or not, you could still lose your arm! Brother… like it or not… I am going to help you!" The young princess stood her ground with a most insistent frown upon her usually gentle expression.
Corrin sighed softly. He should have known better than to try and sneak this past Sakura unnoticed. After all, in normal circumstances she was meek and timid. Yet, that entire persona of hers changed when someone she cared about came to harm. Her heart flickered with a motherly light and she was overtaken by a powerful desire to take care of those in need. From the noblest lord to the common peasant in the fields, she helped them all.
"Very well…. If it will set your mind at ease I will not argue." The look on his sister's face was all the proof he needed to realize that there was no way out of this. Trying to sidestep Sakura when she descended into her motherly nature was a near impossibility.
Sakura stood rooted to the ground with hands on her hips. The soft blowing of the wind caused the elegant white robes she wore to flutter with almost musical rhythm. These regal robes; the color of purity symbolized both the mark of a healer and a princess of royalty. Nervously, she fiddled with the edges of her outfit's bow before looking back up with a slightly more confident smile.
"Please give me a moment, brother," she began with respectful bow. A light flush brightening her cheeks, she smiled sweetly, "Wait for me in the valley just beyond the castle. I must fetch my staff so that I may heal you."
Corrin felt a warm flame slowly flicker in night of the caring nature his youngest sibling showed. She was far from a hardened warrior. No, Sakura was the gentle breeze of kindness within their noble army. The loving nature she showed only made the young man more sure of his decision to turn away from his family in Nohr and fight for this noble cause.
"Very well, Sakura," nodded Corrin with a slight pause, "I will wait for you in the valley. Please, take your time. I do not wish for you to rush on my account."
With that, Sakura bowed again, "Thank you! It should not take me long!"
The young prince watched with a gentle gaze as his sibling rushed off toward the castle. He did not even have the time to muster a response before she was already halfway out of sight. "Goodness... I did not wish to get her so flustered."
Corrin brought his glance toward the wound on his arm and sighed sadly, "Leo... How did it come to this, brother?"
The warm glow of the sunlight was more than enough to give Corrin a feeling of deep contentedness, such a gentle as the one in Hosido was a true blessing compared to his former home in Nohr. In truth, he found the stark contrast between the two to be so different that it was almost unnerving. The cherry blossom tree he sat beneath stood so tall and proud, while the winds blew the long fields of lush green grass.
"The land in Nohr is nothing like this wonderful place. The earth is dry… and the fields are barren. Only those wealthy enough to afford it can eat properly." It was a sad thought for the young prince. The everyday people struggled so much just to stay alive in his former homeland. Meanwhile, the common folk here flourished under the beautiful embrace of the Light Dragon's blessing.
His mind drifted back to the people he left behind across the border. Thoughts of Leo and Elise especially came to the front of his mind. "I pray that none of you hate me for the choice I made..."
Corrin looked down to the bloodied gash in his right arm for the second time today. His emotions dropped and with them, his expression twisted into a frown, "Especially you… Leo. I do not wish to fight any of you, but this is the only way our world can find peace."
Snapping back from the flurry of his memories, Corrin looked up, "Sakura…. I am sorry. I seemed to be away with my thoughts for a moment. I did not hear you arrive."
He gazed upon the attire Sakura wore again. The way her robes and red skirt hugged against her body loosely amidst the blowing wind of the peaceful valley, the tassels and the ribbons of the ensemble, completed magnificently by her hair held in a small headband. The sunlight served only to amplify her natural beauty and enhance it further, too. It filled Corrin's previously sombre emotions with a renewed feeling of happiness. His treasured sister truly was an amazing young woman. Such a belief only made him feel more at ease with his choice to come here. After all, he had not lived in Hoshido to see her grow up, but he could make up for lost time now, at least.
Sakura shyly shuffled her way across to Corrin and sat at his side beneath the tree. Nervously clutching her staff in hand, she leaned forward. "Please, hold still," she insisted, "This may sting for just a moment… at least until the warmth of the magic mends your skin."
Corrin nodded understandingly. Preparing for a twinge of unease, he tensed the slightest bit, "Please, go ahead."
Slowly bringing her staff forward, Sakura closed her eyes and gradually began to relax into something that resembled a trance, "Light Dragon… please lend me your healing light. I wish to soothe the pain of somebody dear to me…."
The soothing glow of the healing light glimmered from the staff. Its strong aura took the form of a mystical orb of light. The sphere of magical energy carefully nestled Corrin's injury. He watched in quiet awe as his bloody wound gently closed up as if it weren't there at all.F
Content with her work, Sakura opened her eyes again and chuckled softly, "All finished," she beamed with a smile matching that of the glowing sunshine. "You're a very good patient. Even some of our most powerful soldiers feel discomfort for a moment when their injuries close, but not you…."
Corrin leaned back against the cherry blossom tree and looked upward to the sky of ocean blue. Everything here was so naturally peaceful. "My body is very strong, yes," he admitted quietly, "But sometimes I do wonder if my heart is strong enough to bare some of its burdens."
"Brother," Sakura placed a hand upon her heart and looked away shyly for a moment. "Please, do not say such a thing. I believe in you…. No matter what… I will always believe in you."
"Sakura?" Corrin turned to see the disheartened look upon the woman's usually serene face. Her eyes, at least for a moment, seemed so sad.
"I believed for so many years that I would one day meet you," looking back to Corrin, Sakura gazed with utmost strength and devotion in her words. She slowly shuffled forward to lean her head upon Corrin's shoulder. Once rested against him, the princess closed her eyes and sighed with contentment.
"I am so very thankful that you came back to us. To be able to spend time with you like this, brother," A powerful red flush covered Sakura's cheeks. Her heart pounded quickly in her chest as her thoughts spun out of control at a mile a minute. Finally, in an instant of bravery, "I will always be by your side, Corrin. Now that you are with me… I will always remain with you…."
Corrin felt the gentle warmth of Sakura's breathing against his neck. Its intensity was enough to cause a gentle shudder of surprise from the young prince, "Sakura," he uttered in a low voice as the softness of lips as delicate as fine silk lightly pressed against his skin with loving intent.
Just as quickly as they arrived however, they quickly pulled back. "I love you, so very much," squeaked Sakura as a renewed wave of nervousness took its place within her, "I love you... and I have longed to be a part of your life for such such a long time."
Corrin nodded in response to her heartfelt words. His lips curved into a wide smile. Slowly, he placed an arm around the princess' middle and drew her into an affectionate cuddle. "I love you too, Sakura. No matter what hardships await… I will protect both this beautiful land…. and you…."
The prince held Sakura close. She felt as fragile as a doll in his protective embrace, "Hoshido is the place of my birth… my home. I will defend this magnificent place with my every breath."
Sakura relaxed into the comfort of the embrace. Her fears slowly melted away more and more with every second that went by, "Mother would be so proud to hear you say that."
At least for this single moment, immortalized in time, there was no war or suffering. For as long as it lasted for them both, this valley was perhaps the most peaceful place in the entire world. Bathed in the warmth of the sunlight, the horrors of war seemed to be so very far away.
Corrin smiled, his conflicted soul finally feeling a faint flicker of relief from the fear that came with his choice to leave Nohr behind, "I wish this moment could last forever."
The End
Thank you for taking a little time out of your day to read this! I hope that my portrayal of Sakura was accurate. If you enjoyed this little story then please feel free to leave me some feedback if you would like. All of your opinions are very much welcomed.
Also, if you you want something else to read, I have written oneshots for Lissa; Severa; Elise and even Cynthia. You are more than welcome to look at those too. Thanks again for your time. I will see you in my next writing project, and please keep on supporting Fire Emblem.