AUTHOR'S NOTE: I actually wrote this story soon after FEH came out, but never felt good enough about it to publish it. Anyway, thanks to encouragement from some friends, here it is.
Please keep in mind that the story will make more sense if you read it in the context of the early game, and not in the context of all the OP heroes that are in FEH now. Also, just a reminder that Virion was the first summon when the game was initially released, not Takumi.
As Sakura snuck through the hallways of Castle Krakenburg, she took great care to tread as quietly as possible, even though she knew that any notion of stealth was nothing but an illusion. Lately it seemed as if someone was aware of her actions at every waking moment, whether it be her retainers, the castle guards, or even her husband, Leo.
Husband. The word still seemed somewhat strange to her, foreign almost, but it made her smile all the same.
After falling in love during the war in Valla, she and Leo had decided to marry as soon as they could following Anankos' defeat. Neither of them wanted to spend a prolonged period of time apart once the war had ended, and Ryoma and Prince - no, King Xander - had been agreeable to a quick ceremony. The union both symbolized and solidified the fledgling peace between Nohr and Hoshido, after all, which Leo had been sure to point out to their brothers after their initial hesitation.
Of course, she hadn't realized at the time how much she'd come to miss her people, her homeland, and her siblings. Still, she knew without a doubt that this was where she was meant to be. Not in Nohr, necessarily… but by Leo's side.
Her heart was beating rapidly in agreement as she made her way to their bedchamber, and she was almost embarrassed by how much she longed to see him after spending the day apart.
Once she scurried into the royal wing of the castle, Sakura turned to smile and wave at her retainers in order to wish them goodnight. They'd been following her at a distance to give her at least some semblance of privacy, but of course she'd known that they were there. Hana returned the enthusiastic gesture, but Subaki just nodded stoically… although she could have sworn that his lips turned upward ever so slightly.
Sakura was so grateful to the both of them. They'd given up so much more than she had by coming to Nohr, and yet, they'd never even shown any reluctance to follow her.
There was no doubt in her mind that they were too good for her.
But as she then saw an unmistakable flash of bright yellow, followed by the sound of someone tripping, she almost sighed.
"What sinister forces would put an ottoman here ?" she heard Odin hiss, and despite herself, she couldn't help but giggle. She'd come to grow truly fond of Leo's retainers, especially the outgoing mage. Still, the fact that Leo would, on occasion, direct them to watch over her was bordering on absurd.
She knew that he was only worried about lingering anti-Hoshidan sentiment in Nohr, and she could admit to herself that his ridiculous overprotectiveness was somewhat endearing, however… well, at this point, there likely wasn't a soul on the continent who was more heavily guarded than her.
Sakura really needed to talk to him about that. But as she opened the door to the room they shared to see him sitting on their bed with his back against the headboard, clad only in his purple, silk pajama pants, her minor grievances quickly became a distant footnote.
He was wearing his spectacles and seemed to be absorbed in a book, yet he looked up and raised an eyebrow after her sudden entrance.
"Turning in rather late, aren't you?" he asked as she shut the door.
"I'm sorry… I hope you weren't waiting up for me," she said with a slight blush. "A big shipment of healing supplies came in today, and Elise and I were cataloging them together. Then her retainer, Arthur, mistakenly drank a bottle of laxative potion, so we were trying to, um… well, help him."
Leo sighed and returned his attention to his book. "Well, I suppose that such things can't be helped," he conceded. "And it's not as if you aren't free to do as you please. But you know that I can't help but worry about you…"
Sakura quickly changed into her nightgown and sidled into the bed next to him. "I know, Leo. About that, though… you… you don't need to worry so much," she insisted, despite her sudden bashfulness. "And you really don't need to have your retainers watch over me, either. They're supposed to be guarding you…"
Leo only hmphed as he flipped a page in his book, causing the gold of his wedding band to glitter slightly in the nearby candlelight. "I was only here in our room reading, and Odin had nothing better to do. I was simply allocating resources to where they were more needed," he reasoned.
She giggled softly. "Even so… you don't need to keep acting like I'm going to disappear at any moment," she chided.
"Well, you'd better not," he told her, looking away from his book for a moment so that he could lean down and kiss the top of her head. "Because if you did, I'd miss you too much."
She suddenly felt warm all over, which wasn't uncommon whenever she was in his presence. Her heart sank with disappointment, though, once he soon became engrossed in his book again.
"Are you… are you reading anything good?" she asked hesitantly, wondering what he found so fascinating.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm unfamiliar with some of the crops that your brother is planning to ship to Nohr, so I'm reading up on the best way to store such perishables," he informed her. "We'd best be prepared so that we'll know where to keep them, the correct temperatures to maintain, and the optimum levels of air circulation to utilize."
"O-oh. Yes, it's good to be prepared," she responded in agreement.
Truthfully, it all sounded very dull to her, even though she knew that such information was important.
"But Leo, you should be careful about reading in the dark like this," she warned. "The candlelight really isn't bright enough, and if you keep this up, you'll strain your eyes."
"Perhaps," he said. "But you know, I was just reading a journal the other day on some new stave magic that the Nohrian Clerics Guild has been working on, and they hope to soon be able to develop staves that may be able to heal more chronic injuries - such as, but not limited to, eye strain."
Granted, as a healer, that seemed much more interesting to her than crop storage. Even so, she didn't want to talk about books or crops or staves right now… all she wanted was for Leo to hold her.
Yet his eyes soon drifted back to the text in front of him, and she found herself self-consciously closing the distance between them. She then nestled her head into his side, resting it lightly against the top of his arm. That's how she remained for a good, solid minute until, unable to help herself, she turned slightly to kiss his bare skin.
She immediately felt his muscles stiffen against her lips.
"Why, Sakura… if you desire my attention, all you ever need to do is ask," he told her. And even though she wasn't looking at his face, she could practically hear the smirk in his tone.
She quickly felt an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. "I… I…"
But Leo just carelessly tossed his book onto the floor, brushing his now free hand across her cheek. His smug eyes turned soft with adoration, and she closed her own in anticipation as he began to inch ever closer.
The kiss that soon followed tore at her in the way that being with him always did, as desire, need, and love battled for dominance. Eventually she couldn't even differentiate between them, and she simply became lost in the feeling of his lips, his soft caresses, and just the overall nearness of him.
He truly meant the world to her. And as she went to sleep later that night, wrapped securely in his loving embrace, she knew that she was right where she belonged.
Sakura's eyes flew open once she realized that she couldn't breathe. Instinctively she reached for Leo, but there was no one - nothing - around her.
Nothing but a blue void…
In an instant the blue abyss disappeared, and she was finally able to gasp for air. It took a moment for her to register that the strange feeling underneath her feet was solid ground, as if she'd been suspended in air only a moment ago. She was standing in front of a stone slab with a gray orb in it, but there was a heavy fog surrounding her, and she couldn't make out much else.
"L-Leo?" she asked, feeling hopeful as she then caught sight of someone standing in front of a similar tablet - only, his orb was blue. Yet once she was able to make out his white hair and long, hooded robe, the ensuing disappointment nearly crippled her.
It was only then she realized that she was no longer in her bed clothes, but in her red and white dress, and she was holding a Physic staff. She was about to ask the mysterious stranger what was going on - despite the fact that he looked just as disoriented as she felt - when there was a loud, resounding bang. Another person suddenly appeared, a blue-haired man wielding a frighteningly large axe. Even though Sakura had no idea where she was, it was only then that a feeling of intense fear started to kick in. Another blue haired man then materialized, this one holding a sword, followed by a girl with short blue hair riding a pegasus.
"Ah. Quite a nice crop of heroes for my first summons," someone noted, sounding quite pleased with himself.
Sakura turned to see yet another man, but she could hardly even make out his features since a white hood was covering most of his face. There was something in his hands, something that she could only assume was a weapon, but it had seemed like - well, it had seemed like the people standing next to her had appeared from this strange device.
None of this made any sense…
"What is the meaning of this?" the man with the axe abruptly demanded, glaring at the person in the white robes. "You better speak, and speak quickly."
"My name is Kiran, and I summoned you all here to help the Order of Heroes," the man told them. "You were summoned because we need your power to protect the kingdom of Askr from the invading Emblian Empire."
"Your cause sounds noble, friend, but I have my own kingdom to protect," the blue-haired sword wielder said. "I request that you return me to my homeland of Altea at once."
"But your homeland is in danger as well," Kiran countered. "The Emblian Empire is invading all of your lands, and controlling the minds of your greatest warriors. I won't go to such lengths as to control you, but I'll ask - will you help me?"
"No, you won't go so far as to control us… you'll just tear us from our homes, friends, and families against our will," the man with the white hair next to her shrewdly noted. "Still, I don't suppose we have much choice at the moment but to help you - assuming, of course, that what you're saying is true. I'm hoping that you have some kind of proof?"
Kiran nodded. "Yes, you'll all see for yourselves soon enough," he promised. "Now, please come with me - a warm meal awaits you in our castle. I can explain more then, and we can all come to know each other."
Everyone seemed sufficiently satisfied and started to follow him - everyone except for Sakura, that is. She stayed rooted to the spot, praying that all of this was just some kind of strange dream and she'd wake up soon.
The man with the white hair paused when he noticed that she wasn't coming, and he walked up to her.
"Hey… are you all right?" he inquired, his voice gentle but friendly.
She wasn't sure how to answer that question. How could she be all right? Leo… she needed to get back to Leo.
"I think you're in shock," he said with concern. "Don't worry - it's all going to be fine. Let's just see what that man has to say, and then we'll take it from there, okay?"
She nodded, grateful for his kindness, as it seemed to be the only thing that she could latch onto in this strange place.
"What's your name?" he then asked, offering her a soft smile. "I'm Robin."
"S-S… Sakura," she responded shyly.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sakura," Robin offered. "How about this - we can both look out for each other while we're here, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed, doing her best to smile at him. "I… I'd l-like that."
But even though she felt comforted by Robin's presence, nothing could ease the aching in heart as she longed to be with Leo again.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Robin asked her as everyone dined together in the castle. This included the soldiers in the Order of Heroes - Prince Alfonse, Princess Sharena, and Commander Anna - as well as the others who had been summoned with her - Hector, Marth, Shanna, and of course, Robin.
There was also another man, Virion, who apparently had been summoned previously, as well as the summoner himself - Kiran, he'd called himself.
"I'm not… I'm n-not really hungry," Sakura insisted, pushing her plate away.
"Well, there's no sense in letting good food go to waste," the large man, Hector, noted. He then grabbed the untouched turkey leg from her abandoned plate and began to munch on it.
"Truly, do you have no manners at all?" Virion huffed. "To be so rude to a lovely flower such as this… why, that is a high crime indeed!"
Virion's bold compliment made Sakura uncomfortable, and she found herself unconsciously shifting away from him. She imagined the stony glare that Leo would be giving him right now if he were here with her, and the thought made her smile.
"Ah, I see that - like so many - you have been spellbound by my elegance," Virion flirted, giving her a wink.
"Wh-what? N-no!" she protested, turning a dark shade of red. "I was j-just thinking about my husband. I… I miss him."
Everyone immediately quieted and looked at her. She clenched her fists and stared at her lap, willing herself not to cry while everyone's eyes were on her.
"We'll leave for our first mission tomorrow," Kiran informed them, standing up as he ignored her evident distress. "I'll devise a strategy tonight, and let you know which of you I'll be taking with me."
He then left the room, with Prince Alfonse, Princess Sharena, and Commander Anna following closely behind him.
"You should talk to him," Robin told her. "Maybe he can send you back to where you came from, or even summon your husband here."
"Do you… do you r-really think so?" Sakura wondered, feeling hopeful again.
"Honestly, I don't know… but it can't hurt to ask, right?" he reckoned. "Come on, I'll go with you."
After wandering around for some time, they managed to locate Kiran's study. Two Askrian soldiers had been guarding the door, but Kiran granted them entry.
"Can I help you?" he promptly inquired, clearly not one to beat around the bush.
"Um… y-yes. Please e-excuse me for interrupting," Sakura started, shifting nervously as she met the eyes of the man who had brought her here. The summoner - or as the people in his order like to call him, the Great Hero - was more than intimidating.
Robin was by her side, though, and he nodded at her in encouragement, giving her the resolve that she needed to continue.
"It's just that… well… I understand your reasons for s-summoning us, but in order to come here, I had to l-leave my husband, Leo, behind. S-so, I was wondering i-if… can you bring him here?"
"Ah… Leo is your husband?" Kiran asked. "I know of him - he would be a useful addition to our order as well. I could certainly make use of a cavalry mage, at least. But, which Leo is yours?"
"Which… which L-Leo?" she repeated, confused.
The summoner nodded. "I've been reading what I can about your worlds and the heroes that lie within them. For your world in particular, there are actually multiple timelines through which heroes can be collected," he noted. "However, it stands to reason that you must be from the World of Revelation. That's the most likely timeline for a union between a Prince of Nohr and a Princess of Hoshido."
"Princess?" Robin wondered, sounding surprised. But Sakura was too focused on Kiran to respond to him.
"Can you b-bring Leo here, then?" she pressed. "From… from the World of R-Revelation?"
"In theory? Yes," Kiran said. "But unfortunately, it won't be easy. I can't choose which heroes to call forth when I summon them, and the rarer the hero, the more difficult they are to conjure. In order to specifically summon Leo… I'm sorry, Sakura, but the odds are quite low, and it might not be possible."
His words crushed her, but still… if Kiran couldn't bring Leo to her, then…
"Then… c-can you just send me home instead?"
Kiran looked at her for a long moment. "Of course," he finally replied. "I won't keep you here against your will. But we're doing important things with the Order of Heroes, Sakura - protecting entire worlds from being conquered, including yours. To have someone with healing capabilities such as yourself, well… you're quite an asset to our cause."
Sakura's shoulders quickly sagged, but she noticed that Robin only looked angry as he glared at the summoner.
"Surely we can manage without a healer," Robin argued. "Any tactician worth his salt-"
"No. N-no, Robin… Kiran is r-right," Sakura relented. "If none of your members of the Order of Heroes use staves to support others in battle, then I'll… I'll do my best for you."
And with that, Sakura resigned to be apart from Leo for a little while longer.
It took some time before Kiran sent her on her first mission. Apparently, they'd been visiting the World of Conquest and World of Birthright - the other timelines from her realm - and Robin thought it was a terrible idea to make Sakura face a husband and siblings that weren't hers. She'd protested of course, wanting to see her loved ones in any capacity, but Robin had been insistent. Kiran hadn't been pleased, but when Robin threatened to leave if the summoner didn't do as he'd asked, their tactician had backed down.
So, instead of going into battle, she instead healed the wounded soldiers when they'd returned, and checked on the others when she could to make sure that everyone was doing all right.
Then, about two weeks into their endeavor, Kiran called her into his study, stating that there was something he wanted to discuss with her.
"Sakura, our battles are only getting harder," he told her. "Deploying you to heal our soldiers' wounds during battle would be invaluable. Will you do it?"
"Y-yes, of course," she agreed. She knew that she wasn't strong like the others, but she still wanted to help in any way she could. That's why she was here, wasn't it? That's why she'd been summoned.
That's why she'd been taken from Leo.
"Good," he responded. "I've just gotten word that Emblian soldiers are advancing on the Kingdom of Askr, and we'll be heading there immediately. You're to come with us."
Sakura nodded. She wasn't excited to witness the brutalities of war first-hand again, but if there was something that she could do to help, then she couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing.
The Kingdom of Askr was beautiful… its lands were lush and green, and full of life, just like Hoshido. It was hard for Sakura to appreciate such splendor, though, when there was nothing but chaos around her.
"Robin, l-look out!" she shouted, but her warning wasn't enough to help the mage avoid a blow from a nearby axe-user. Fortunately, Marth was there in a moment to dispatch the man with the axe, leaving Sakura the time that she needed to heal Robin's wounds.
"Thanks," he said, flashing her a smile, and she nodded. He was immediately preoccupied, though, as an enemy mage approached to fight him.
Sakura scanned the nearby area to ensure that there was no one who needed immediate healing, but as she did, someone caught her eye.
Was that King Xander fighting against their forces? And if so… did that mean Leo could be somewhere nearby?
Despite the danger of the battle raging on around her, Sakura walked along the closest pathway, careful to hide from any enemies that she saw as she progressed. But someone then surprised her, appearing directly in front of her before she even noticed him.
She jumped and gasped until she got a good look at the man, and her fear quickly turned into relief.
"Oh! Odin! You… you s-scared me," she told him, taking a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. "Thank goodness you're here! Is Leo-"
But before she could finish her question, a flurry of lightning rushed into her.
Pain like she couldn't even imagine overtook her. She would have screamed, but every muscle in her body contracted, including those of her jaw as her teeth clenched together. As the electric current coursed through her, it felt as if her chest and arms were on fire, and the ends of her hair even started to singe.
Once the assault finally ended, Sakura fell to her knees, breathing heavily. Idly she noticed that parts of her clothing had been scorched and torn, leaving her looking as disheveled as she felt.
"Go on, Odin. I'll finish her," a voice commanded, and her head snapped up immediately.
She'd know that voice anywhere.
"Leo!" she cried out, barely even noticing as Odin nodded and took his leave of them.
Sakura tried to get up and run to him, but she was too wounded to move properly. Pathetically, she couldn't even manage to stand, and when she tried, she only collapsed onto the side of her thigh instead. Feeling weak, she used her hands to hold herself upright, and it was only then she realized that it wouldn't have mattered if she'd managed to get to Leo or not.
Merciful gods, the way that he was glaring at her… was this… was this even her Leo, or was it a Leo from one of those other worlds?
He sure looked like her Leo, and she achingly studied all of his handsome features.
But the coldness in his eyes… she hadn't seen him look at her like that in so long, not since she'd first encountered him in Izumo. Yet even then he hadn't intended to harm her - in fact, he'd been the one to save her from Zola - and only now, for the first time in her life, did she find that she was afraid of him.
Not that her fear wasn't warranted… for as he continued to glare at her, without even an ounce of love or recognition in his eyes, she knew then that he was going to kill her.
"N-no… Leo, p-please," she whimpered, never imagining in the worst of her nightmares that she'd ever die by his hand. But he seemed to pay her no mind as he brought out Brynhildr.
The heartbreaking irony wasn't lost on Sakura - that the same tome he'd used to protect her so many times would now be the weapon to take her life.
Unable to do anything to save herself, she merely cried softly as she watched him raise his tome. Yet something glinted in the sunlight as he did, blinding him for a quick moment and causing him to pause.
It was only his gauntlet that had reflected the light, the one on his left hand, but he suddenly looked confused… almost like he'd expected it to be something else. Surprisingly, he then ripped off the glove completely, staring at a ring on his finger.
No, not just a ring - his wedding band. The same one she'd given to him when they'd exchanged their vows months ago.
But, did that mean that this was…?
He looked at the ring for a long time before finally returning his gaze to her.
"L-Leo?" she tried again hopefully.
He raised his tome once more and she flinched, but he almost immediately brought it back down, appearing frustrated.
"Who are you to me?" he demanded angrily. "Princess Veronica wishes for me to kill our enemies, but I can't seem to… I keep seeing your…"
He was interrupted as a flurry of ravens then appeared, materializing as if from thin air. Leo cried out as the magical creatures attacked him, and it was evident that the spell had wounded him greatly.
His horse reared, and having been severely weakened, Leo abruptly fell off of the beast, which then proceeded to run away.
"No!" Sakura cried out, and she crawled over to him despite her own pain. "Leo!"
"Sa… ku… ra?" he asked as she reached him, but with a sigh his eyes then fluttered closed and he fell unconscious.
She fumbled for her staff, and was about to heal him until a voice said, "Wait."
Looking up she saw Robin. She'd known that he was close - that it was his spell which had assaulted Leo - but as she acknowledged his presence, she found that she was furious.
"You… y-you hurt him!" she accused, and he winced.
"I know," he told her. "And I'm sorry. But you need to listen to me, Sakura. We have to defeat all the heroes under Emblia's control in order to release them from Veronica's contract. It's regrettable that I had to cause Leo harm, but incapacitating him is the only way that we can free him."
Sakura sniffled and then nodded reluctantly. "I… I understand. S-so, I'll just h-heal him now, and-"
"No," Robin asserted, shaking his head. "We need to wait until the others have been defeated as well. If you heal him now, then he may still be loyal to Veronica."
"B-but…" Sakura began to protest, running a hand through Leo's hair.
"Sakura," Robin continued, putting a hand on her shoulder as his eyes pierced into hers. "Do you trust me?"
She nodded again.
"Okay," he said, smiling at her. "Let's wait for Kiran's signal, then. The battle should be over soon, so don't fret."
Despite Robin's assurances, it seemed to take an eternity before Kiran sounded the horns, signaling their triumph. Sakura didn't waste even another moment before raising her staff, intent on healing the wounds of her injured husband.
Leo groaned and stirred slightly. Sakura's magical power was still somewhat weak in this world since she hadn't trained enough yet, so she issued another dose of healing magic onto her husband. At that his eyes finally opened, and when they connected with hers, she almost melted at the look of complete love and adoration that he directed at her.
"Sakura?" he asked sluggishly, as if he were simply waking on a lazy morning after sleeping in.
But he almost immediately shot upright. "Sakura!" he then exclaimed, grabbing her and pressing her to him tightly. "Gods, Sakura."
She smiled. Even though she was in a foreign land, it felt like she was finally home again. "Leo," she sighed happily, grateful to be in his arms once more.
"Where are we?" he asked while his eyes scanned the area around them.
"We're in the Kingdom of Askr," she told him. "It's a place that's not in our world."
"Another world? Is this… is this where you've been this whole time, then?" he inquired, and she nodded.
"Yes. I was summoned into the Order of Heroes to help save this world and others from the Emblian Empire."
"The Emblian Empire?" he asked, looking like he was struggling to remember something. "Yes, that's right. Their princess came to Nohr, and before I even knew what was happening, she had me under some kind of spell… but I can't remember much after that."
"It's okay, Leo," Sakura promised as she smiled brightly at him. "It's all over now. She forced you into some kind of contract to control you, but the contract is broken now."
Leo's arms only tightened around her, and as much as that made her happy, she gasped slightly from the pain, having forgotten about the wounds she'd sustained earlier.
The most regrettable part of it all was when Leo loosened his hold on her.
"Gods - you're hurt!" Leo noted, sounding horrified. He then cupped her face softly and dragged a careful thumb across her cheek. "I can't remember what… Did… did I…?"
"No!" she insisted, burying her head into his neck. "You refused to hurt me. You could have, but you didn't."
He sighed, and even though she knew that he was relieved, he was clearly still worried.
"We need to find you a healer," Leo noted.
"Sakura is our only healer," Robin chimed in. "But we have herbs and potions back at the castle that we can use to heal her wounds."
"And who are you?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he acknowledged the mage's presence.
"It's okay, Leo," she assured him. "Robin is a friend of mine. He's been looking out for me here."
Yet when Leo turned to look at her, she could read the message clearly in his eyes.
I should be the one looking out for you, they seemed to scream.
Still, Leo glanced back over to Robin and nodded at him. "In that case, you have my gratitude."
"Don't mention it," Robin replied amiably. "And just so that you're aware, King Xander was put under Veronica's spell as well, but he's going to be fine, too."
"Xander?" Leo asked with slight alarm.
"And your retainers - Odin at least," Sakura added. "I'm not sure if Niles was here. But in any case, they're all going to be okay now."
"I'm relieved to hear that," Leo sighed. "But truthfully, I'm more relieved to see you, Sakura. I had no idea where you'd gone… When I woke up that fateful morning and realized that you were missing, I thought at first that you were only playing a trick on me to prove a point, based on our conversation from the night before… but no, I knew that you'd never be so cruel."
"Leo," Sakura whispered, hating to hear how much torment he'd been in.
"Then I thought that you must have been kidnapped by one of the anti-Hoshidan factions in Nohr, but you'd just been with me, and there were no signs of a struggle. I couldn't bear the thought that you could have been taken from right under my nose, that I could have failed you in such a way."
"Leo, s-stop," she begged. "I'm the one who failed you. I should have just returned home right after I got here, I shouldn't have put you through that…"
He smiled at her. "I won't lie to you Sakura - I wish you would have," he admitted. "But I also know you well, and I can't fault your kind heart for imploring you to stay where your assistance is most needed. The way you always think about helping others, and never about yourself… well, don't forget - that's how I fell in love with you, after all."
Her bottom lip started to quiver. How could he be so impossibly sweet to her after she'd hurt him so badly? "I don't… I d-don't deserve…"
He put his lips to hers to silence her. "Don't even say it, Sakura," he warned, his breath tickling her face as his words followed his kiss. "Because we both know it's not true."
She shook her head. "I hope you know that you're all I've been thinking about since I got here," she promised. "Every waking moment, and… a-and, the ones when I'm asleep, too."
Her cheeks pinked at her confession, but Leo only seemed smug.
Only a moment later, though, he started to look strange, as if he were fading away.
"Leo?" Sakura asked, panicking. "What… what's h-happening?"
"He's been freed from his contract with Veronica," Robin reminded her. "That means he's being sent home."
"What? No!" she cried out, doing her best to clutch onto Leo's fading form.
"I'm sorry, Sakura," Robin said gently. "But the only way for him to join the Order of Heroes is to be summoned to it by Kiran."
Leo appeared to be just as surprised and distressed by his disappearing frame as she was. She could now barely even feel his arms, which had been wrapped around her so tightly only moments before.
"Don't go," she pleaded, even though she knew that what she was asking was out of his control.
"I love you," was all he said in response, but the sweetness of his words was overshadowed by the anguish on his face.
"I love you!" she shouted in return.
But by the time the words were out of her mouth, Leo was already gone.
Sakura was beginning to hate the sight of the summoning circle.
With that said, she wasn't seeing it nearly enough.
It took a significant number of orbs for Kiran to summon new heroes, and orbs were apparently difficult to come by. Occasionally, though, baskets of orbs mysteriously appeared in the castle, as if left there by some anonymous benefactor.
Robin had come with her to watch Kiran's most recent summons, knowing that Sakura was nearing her breaking point. It was just so difficult to watch hero after hero join the Order, with none of them being Leo.
After the summoning had completed and Leo still hadn't appeared, Robin had taken her to a sweets shop near the castle to try and cheer her up. Normally Sakura loved sweets, but she couldn't find any joy in the delicious creations this time.
Even so, she appreciated that Robin cared for her enough to at least try and raise her spirits. He was becoming a dear friend to her, and even though they'd both return to their own worlds one day and might never see each other again after that, she was glad that she at least had the chance to meet him. Apparently, there was someone he dearly missed from his home world as well - someone named Chrom. She hoped that he'd be reunited with his friend soon, but Robin also seemed content enough to stay with the Order and observe Kiran's battle tactics.
More than anything, Sakura just wanted to go home… but the need for healers was still dire. Kiran had since summoned two other healers - an old man named Wrys, and a talkative girl named Serra - but their battles were getting more dangerous, and as a result, their healing skills were becoming more necessary. Sakura only wanted to be with Leo - merciful gods, so badly did she want that - but her conscience wouldn't let her go to him just yet.
So, instead, she prayed - she prayed to every god she knew that Leo would come to her. That Kiran would finally summon him, so that she could be whole once more.
When it finally came time for the next summoning session, Sakura went to follow Kiran again, but Robin quickly tried to stop her.
"Sakura, you shouldn't go," he requested. "Each time that Kiran summons someone and Leo doesn't appear, you seem to take it harder and harder. If it happens again, I'm afraid how you might take it… that you might break completely."
She gave him a sad smile. "You're wrong, Robin," she told him. "The only thing that would break me is losing hope. I c-can't give up on Leo now. He wouldn't w-want me to ever do that."
"All right," Robin agreed, sighing deeply. "Let's go then, shall we?"
But when she watched yet again as five heroes appeared, none of whom were Leo, she wondered if Robin had actually been right after all.
The months passed by slowly, and spring soon became summer. It was then Sakura decided that she'd been away from Leo long enough, that she couldn't stay here any longer without him.
Yes, she could live with the guilt of abandoning the Order if she had to… but she couldn't live without Leo.
Yet when she asked Kiran to send her home, he requested that she stay.
"You're our most experienced healer," he argued. "Just stay for a little bit longer… until Wrys and Serra get some more training and are able to reach their full potential."
She could have sworn that she heard him mutter something about the ridiculousness of sending home a "five-star healer," but she couldn't be sure, as the words seemed to make no sense to her.
"B-but-," she began to protest.
"I'll have enough orbs for another summoning session soon," he interrupted. "If I don't summon Leo in that session, then I'll send you home. Okay? You have my word."
Sakura nodded, albeit reluctantly.
The scene was the same - one that she'd been a part of many times before.
Kiran approached the summoning circle and pointed the ancient relic, Breidablik, at the large stone slabs.
Meanwhile, Robin stood behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders in a gesture of support.
For once, she wasn't sure that she needed it. If Leo wasn't summoned, then she would go home. Therefore, she'd be reunited with him soon, no matter what - it was as simple as that.
Still, she watched Kiran avidly as he put twenty orbs in the center of the summoning circle.
A brilliant light flashed around them, and Sakura recognized the familiar feeling of her heart sinking in her chest once she noticed that only two of the tablets in the circle had a red stone in them.
According to Kiran, only a red stone could summon Leo, but they had no control over which colors the circle chose to present to them.
"First or last?" Kiran then asked, looking over at her.
"L-last," she requested, hoping that she would be able to steel herself by the Kiran got to the red stones. Mostly, she had to try and prepare herself for the inevitable disappointment that would likely follow.
Kiran nodded at her, and he pointed Breidablik at the first slab.
Four loud booms soon followed, and Sakura looked at the heroes that appeared. There was a handsome turquoise-haired lance wielder, and an equally handsome man with dark-blue hair and a sword. There was also a girl in a pink dress with long, brown hair, and then…
"N-Niles?" Sakura asked, at the same time Robin yelled, "Chrom!"
"Robin?" the blue-haired man inquired.
"Princess Sakura!" Niles exclaimed. "Oh, no… Lord Leo is not going to be happy about this."
So, it wasn't just Niles then, but the Niles from her world. Kiran had previously summoned some heroes from the worlds of Birthright and Conquest, but Sakura always felt slightly awkward talking to them. She shuddered at the thought of coming from either of those worlds - a place where Nohr and Hoshido were at war and she'd have never gotten the chance to fall in love with Leo.
Sakura was so shocked at the sight of Niles that the sound of another boom startled her.
And when the next hero appeared, she felt her knees grow weak.
But then again, he'd always had that effect on her.
"Leo," she gasped, but the word barely even came out as a whisper.
Still, he must have heard her, because he looked over in her direction. At first he only appeared to be startled and disoriented, but he was soon glaring icily in her direction.
Sakura felt frozen in place. Was this the other Leo, then? The one from the World of Conquest? His cold look notwithstanding, he made no move to come to her, and he didn't call her name.
Suddenly, she couldn't seem to stop her tears from piercing her eyes. Seeing Leo in front of her after being apart from him for so long, but having him look at her so coldly - and not being able to run into his arms - it was all just too much for her to bear.
Tonight. I'll go home tonight, she told herself. The promise of seeing her Leo again soon and Robin's comforting touch were the only things keeping her together right now. She knew how happy Robin must be that Chrom had been summoned, but still, he stayed by her side to offer her his support, and that meant the world to her.
She looked at her friend as he squeezed her shoulders, smiling through her tears to let him know that she was okay.
"Would you please be so kind as to take your hands off of my wife?" a voice snapped, and Sakura felt her heart somersault.
His… wife?
Robin's eyes widened and he lifted his hands immediately, and it was only then that Sakura realized what was happening.
Leo wasn't glaring at her… he was glaring at the mage standing behind her.
She was so happy to see her husband that she didn't even waste a moment trying to diffuse his irrational jealousy. Instead, she just ran as fast as her legs could carry her, giving him a forceful hug once she reached him.
That was enough to direct his attention away from Robin, and she knew that the unfiltered joy in his eyes was only mirrored by her own.
"Gods, how I've missed you," he told her, his voice nearly cracking as he spoke. And in an instant, he leaned down to kiss her, capturing her lips in his so hungrily that it made her toes curl.
"What… what in the hell is going on?" the turquoise-haired man suddenly asked as he gaped at them. Yet, although she was normally quite shy, Sakura couldn't find it in herself to care that she and Leo had an audience. She'd been away from him for so long now that she couldn't stand even one more moment apart.
"You might need to get used to this," Niles noted with a chuckle. "But if it's making you and that large lance of yours feel lonely, then I'm sure that I can fix that for you…"
"Seriously, Robin - what the hell is going on?" Chrom asked, sounding bewildered.
"Um… welcome to the Order of Heroes?" Robin said sheepishly, laughing slightly. "But really, it's… it's good to see you, Chrom."
"Same to you," Chrom returned, and even through her own bliss, Sakura could hear the smile in his voice. "I should have known that you'd managed to get yourself into some crazy situation like this…"
Kiran then let out an annoyed sigh. "All right, everyone. I'm sure you have questions, and I'll explain everything soon enough," he promised. "But perhaps we ought to leave these two alone first."
"That's the best strategy you've come up with since we got here," Robin stated, nodding in agreement.
But something in the back of Sakura's mind was bothering her, and she forced herself to break away from Leo.
"Wait," she requested. "Leo - if you're here, and Niles is here, then that means poor Odin is back in Castle Krakenburg all alone…"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Niles assured her. "He's probably be too busy fooling around with your retainer to even notice that we're gone."
"H-he… he what?" Sakura asked, completely dumbfounded. "H-Hana?"
"Hey, someone had to comfort her when you disappeared," Niles said with a shrug.
"B-but-"
"Sakura," Leo cut in with an impatient huff, "are you really going to force me to stop kissing you over Odin of all things?"
Sakura laughed, feeling happier than she'd been in a long time. "Well… how else was I going to catch my breath?"
But when he smirked at her and leaned down to kiss her again, she knew full well that it wasn't the lack of air that was leaving her breathless.