AN: I was so excited to write this chapter, you have no idea. And I hope you all are just excited to read it!

Enjoy!

Leo watches as his sister idly plays with her healing staff, her brow is furrowed in thought. Her eyes are still trained on the direction that Princess Sakura and her countrymen had been imprisoned. He can feel a sense of pity from her, and maybe a hint of guilt. Elise is always one to show compassion for her enemies – a truly admirable trait.

Though if he's honest with himself, Leo can't deny the fact that he too felt a little bad for the Hoshidan Princess. Still, he pushes his own feelings aside and stands at his sister's side. "Is there something troubling you?"

Elise is startled by his sudden appearance. "Leon! Uh…" Her voice trails off, as if she's unsure of what to say to him. "I'm fine… but I feel really bad for Princess Sakura. She really wanted to help everyone, but Iago and Hans got in the way of that – those jerks."

The memory of her desperate pleas resurface, as does the faint feeling guilt in his heart. "And I take it that's why you've been staring off into space?" Leo asks.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about how sad I'd be if I couldn't heal someone who was hurting right in front of me. I'd feel useless," says Elise. "So I thought I should do something nice for her. Something that'll make her feel a little better."

The corners of Leo's lips curve upwards slightly. "That's very kind of you, Elise."

She giggles. "Thanks! But I dunno what to do… Any ideas?"

Leo taps his chin in thought. "Well, we're not sure how long she'll be kept there, or how long until we end the war. Maybe you could bring her something to eat, or a blanket to help keep her warm. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Elise's eyes practically twinkle in delight. "Leon, you're a genius! I didn't even think of that!" Eyes that once sparkled now look at him in confusion after he points out his blanket folded neatly atop his belongings. "Wait you want me to take your blanket?"

He shrugs. "I mean, it's right there after all."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Elise says. "Yours is all dark and boring. I'm gonna give her mine because it's cute and pink – just like her hair!"

Although he doesn't really know her, Leo highly doubts that the Hoshidan princess is so self-absorbed that she'd prefer Elise's blanket because it's the same color as her hair. Still, he doesn't argue with her, and tells her that is she's going to the prisons, then she needs to go quickly before Hans or Iago find her.

Leo does make note that after Elise leaves, his blanket is not among his belongings anymore. Knowing Elise, she's probably taken it to prove to him that Princess Sakura will most definitely pick her blanket over his own. When she returns, she looks almost defeated. He takes that it didn't go well.

Her heavy sighing says it all, before she mopes about how the princess wouldn't eat anything she gave her, and silently refused to use any of the blankets Elise brought her. "And I was so sure she'd pick mine too…" There's no time to cheer her up, as Corrin tells them that they are to travel to the Great Wall of Suzanoh to conquer the enemy's core legion.

There's a hitch in his brother's voice when he tells them who the enemy commander is, and Leo refrains giving a small sigh. Of course it's Prince Takumi leading the troops at the wall, because between he and Princess Sakura, Corrin can't really seem to catch a break. There are no words of comfort that Leo can give to Corrin, however.

He keeps silent instead, and does his part to help seize the Great Wall. The battle is bloody and gruesome; everything he's come to expect from war. The bodies of Hoshidan soldiers litter the grassland and the wall itself. Some of them lie deathly still. Leo pays them no mind – their goal is to keep moving forward.

The dying words of Prince Takumi's retainers ring in his ears so clearly, but there's no time to feel any remorse until it's all over. He reminds Corrin of this as he looks almost hesitant to continue to push forward. It must be difficult to battle your own flesh and blood, but is has to be done. They've come too far to throw this all away now.

It's slightly infuriating when the Hoshidan prince refuses to admit defeat, as all of his men are either severely wounded or dead. He lashes out, and wishes the worst on his older brother. Leo scoffs. "My, what a rude fellow. You should be grateful we are allowing you to live."

For once, Prince Takumi doesn't have a rebuttal. He also doesn't look in Leo's direction.

Charming as always. "You may be our prisoner, but we will not treat you cruelly," Leo continues. "If you behave, we may even let you see your sister, Princess Sakura."

At the sound of her name, Takumi finally turns his head towards Leo. Amber eyes glower at him, and yet at the same time, the prince looks as if he's going to be sick. "What!? You've captured Sakura too?" He asks in total disbelief. "You monsters!"

It's the harshest Leo's ever heard him speak, and it's the most desperate Leo's ever heard him as well. With his sister captured, and his army defeated, there's nowhere left for Takumi to run. It's over, but the Hoshidan prince still manages to slip away from them. To watch him drop like a weight makes Leo gasp in shock. His brother's desperate cries aren't helping to ease is heavy conscience.

He doesn't get to hear the disgusting thud of Takumi's body hitting the ground when his eyes shoot open, and his body is practically drenched in sweat. He slaps his hands onto his face and let out a groan. What's wrong with him? Why did he have to say that to him? Why'd he have to go mentioning her name?

Takumi's face looked almost exactly as it did at the wedding back in June. The eeriness of it all sends a shiver down Leo's spine. After a few deep breaths, Leo reaches for his cellphone. What time is it, anyway? The brightness on his phone blinds him temporarily, but when his eyes finally adjust, the current time is the least of his concerns right now.

It's been an entire week since he's sent Sakura that text message, and she's just gotten back to him. His heart races as he puts in the 4-digit pin into his phone, and Leo doesn't waste time opening her message. Though, it's not what he was expecting in the least.

I've never had a dream about that before, is her reply.

Is she serious…? It can't be a coincidence that she called his brother by the wrong name, could it? Leo sits up in bed, runs a hand through his blond tresses before he asks: Can we talk? Please?

The clock reads 3:17 a.m. when his phone begins to vibrate continuously. The picture of her bright smile pops up, and Leo stares at it for a moment before he picks up her call. "H-hello?" She says quietly on the other line. It's refreshing to hear her voice again. She never speaks up in class, so hearing it again after so long makes him happy.

He responds with a "Hey," just as quiet before they fall into silence. Leo knows what he wants to talk about, but he isn't sure how to get there. To his surprise, Sakura is the first to speak.

"Are you… still mad at me?" She asks.

Leo's brow furrows in confusion. "When was I ever mad at you?"

"B-because I…" Her voice trails off before he hears her breathe a shaky breath. "I… a-at the party, I… ran away w-without ever talking to you… a-and then you'd sometimes l-look away from me when we saw each other… s-so…"

"I wasn't mad," Leo says. "Hurt, but never mad. I just… always feel like I'm in the wrong for some reason, and I never know why. So… did I do something wrong?"

Sakura is silent for a moment. "It… It isn't your fault. Or rather, it w-wasn't your fault."

"…Is there a difference?"

"Yes."

She's so cryptic. "In reference to what, Sakura?" He's trying to be as gentle with her as possible, but he's so anxious to figure out what's going on.

"W-well, you asked me i-if I ever dreamt of being a princess of Hoshido… wh-why?"

"Because how did you know the name I refer to my brother in my own dreams?" He asks a little louder than he would've liked.

"I… w-wait, you don't remember anything either?"

Remember what? Is there something obvious he's missing here? "What am I supposed to be remembering?"

"Hoshido, Nohr… th-the war… I-it isn't some fairytale. It was all real."

Leo wants to laugh and tell her to get serious, but Sakura doesn't sound like she's joking at all. If he confronted her about this sometime last year, he's positive that he wouldn't have believed her. But now, with his knowledge of how realistic these dreams have been, and the fact that he's never able to control his actions, Leo's starting to think that this is the answer he's been looking for this whole time.

And the feelings of guilt, anxiety and pain hit him harder than ever. "So I… at Fort Jinya, did I really…?"

"I-it's not your fault–"

"That's why you were so scared of me…"

"Leo, i-it's okay. I–"

"What part of this is okay, Sakura?" He snaps, and she falls silent. "I mean, I obviously hurt you so much that you wanted nothing to do with me when we first met, and I just kept pushing myself onto you. Why didn't you just tell me to leave you alone or something, instead of having to go through all that?"

She's still silent on the other end, save for her light breathing. Leo patiently awaits her response. "I… I thought…" she croaks, and he wonders if he's make her cry. "I didn't know that you didn't r-remember anything… th-the way you looked at me, I thought you knew and we were g-going to go our separate ways but… you started talking to me and… I thought that m-maybe you wanted to start over… a-and that you were being nice.

"W-when I saw your brother, e-everything just sort of hit me… a-and I got scared. I panicked, a-and I slipped up. I was so embarrassed… And when you reached for me, I remembered the tome and how your arm reached out towards m-me back then and I… I'm so sorry," she whimpers. "I… I should be over something that happened ages ago. A-and in another life no less, b-but I…"

Her sniffling on the other end of the line makes him feel horrible. He really did hurt her, as did the war. The slaying of her countrymen, the death of her older brother, even her time in prison – he hadn't meant to make her re-live all of that. "Don't apologize. None of this is your fault. It's alright to admit that you're still hurting, so don't push yourself, okay?" He says soothingly, and her crying steadily comes to a stop. "Can I ask you something…?"

"O-of course," she says quietly.

"When you said, 'you don't remember anything either,' who were you referring to?"

There's the sound of shifting and a creaky bed on her end before she starts to speak. "U-um, Takumi used to be like you… He'd dream about the war too. B-but, he doesn't have them anymore. I originally thought you were asking be-because it happened to one of your siblings…" She sighs. "I should have put it together that it was you, since you wanted to tell me about a dream you had back at the party…"

Takumi had dreams like this too? So he must've known about what happened at the Great Wall. As if Leo couldn't feel any worse about the situation. "God, no wonder he hates my guts."

"H-he doesn't hate you!" Sakura cuts in hastily. "He doesn't… I… I explained everything much later. A-and then he told me about what happened… o-on the Great Wall…"

"Yeah, I uh, just dreamt about it," Leo says as he scratches the back of his neck. "It was awful… and I'm really sorry about it all."

"Leo," Sakura starts. "I… I've forgiven you, okay? I don't want this to make us drift apart more than it already has."

Although he feels the same way, there's still something that feels off about this whole thing. Something that bothers him terribly. "Sakura… Can you tell me what else happens in the war?"

"I… I think it's best that you let the dreams run its course."

She's hiding something from him, he can tell. He doesn't push it. "Okay then. Can you at least tell me why I don't remember anything, or why I'm dreaming about it all?"

Sakura hums in thought for a while. "I… don't know, to be honest. I never knew you could dream about those things in such detail until Takumi told me about his own recently. I thought you either remembered, or you didn't, a-and that I was the only one in my family who did."

Leo asks if Takumi remembered everything after his dreams stopped for good. If so, maybe the same thing will happen to him. Sakura says that she isn't sure. "He hasn't told me if they all came back… o-only that he's dreamt of the war."

"I see," says Leo. Although he's glad to have come to some type of explanation about his bizarre dreams, it only begets more questions that desperately need to be answered. Why is it that he doesn't remember, but she does? Is it just by chance? What made those dreams occur recently as opposed to ten years ago?

Sakura's attempt to stifle her yawn draws him out of his musings. "Oh, right. You must be tired. It's pretty late after all."

"Um, a-a little, actually," she says. "Uh, m-maybe we can talk tomorrow?"

Leo begins to smile – the first one all night. "I'd like that. And Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"I… really did miss you these past few months."

He can hear her inhale sharply on the other end before she says, "I missed you too."

With that, the two of them say their goodbyes and promptly hang up. As much as he wants to go to bed, the mixed feelings he has about his dreams keep his mind entertained with theories and questions. Someone has to have some of the answers he's looking for. A certain face suddenly comes to mind, and Leo thinks he should start there.

Leo won't be of drinking age until next year, but it doesn't stop him from asking Xander for a glass of wine after he asks Leo what he wants to drink and only suggests juice or water. A notable smirk appears on Leo's face when his brother sits the wine glass in front of him.

"Say when," Xander says as he begins to pour wine into Leo's glass. There's a long silence between them as Leo watches red liquid fill the glass before him before Xander stops, and Leo can see the smirk he dons. "If you want alcohol poisoning, you can do that back at school, thank you very much."

He scoffs. "I know my limit Xander, thanks." Leo takes a sip from his glass as he takes in the décor in the home. Damask patterned wallpaper hold pictures of their families, and a couple of Xander's wedding photos. Mahogany end tables display flower arrangements and various business cards. His wife must've been the one doing all the decorating, because Leo knows Xander doesn't have an eye for that sort of thing.

Xander, who pours his own glass, steals a quick glance in Leo's direction before he sets the wine bottle down. "So, I can assume you didn't come all the way here just to finish all my bottles of alcohol, right?"

Leo shakes his head. "I actually needed to talk to you, and I felt doing this in person would be more effective."

"And what do you need to talk to me about?" Xander asks.

Leo bites down on his bottom lip momentarily. "You… remember Sakura, right?"

His brother looks a little surprised by all of this, but quickly regains his composure. "Ah, your… friend, right? I hope that night at the wedding didn't ruin things between the two of you. Camilla told me about how upset you were over it."

"I'm… not surprised that she said something to you," says Leo. "But, that's not the point. Have the two of you met before? You and Sakura?"

"…Not under normal circumstances," he says quietly. "And not formally."

He knew it. By the way the two of them looked at each other back then, Leo was sure that there was some kind of connection between them. "I thought so."

"What did she say to you?"

"Not much that I didn't already know," he answers plainly. "Although she did tell me that the war between Nohr and Hoshido was actually real."

Xander sets his wine glass on the table, and looks at Leo in astonishment. "You knew about that?"

"I think that's my line."

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew?"

Leo sighs. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning at the time because I thought they were all just silly dreams."

"You had dreams about them?" Asks Xander. "Okay, wait. Please explain everything to me."

And he does, making sure not to leave out any key details. It's harder relaying the story the second time, now that he knows the truth about his dreams, but he bears it. When he's finished, Xander processes everything he's said while rubbing his chin.

"I see," says Xander quietly. "I wish you would have come to me first so that we could've talked about it."

Leo's eyes narrow. "And why couldn't you have come to me instead?"

"I didn't think anyone remembered, and you all would have thought I was mad if I went around trying to remind you of something that sounded as if it came out of a story book," Xander says. "So, I never said a word. I thought I should at least explain what happened at the wedding, but I didn't think you'd believe me if I said, 'Marx is who I was in a past life.'"

Well, Leo would have, but Xander is going off the assumption that Leo never had these dreams in the first place, so he doesn't hold it against him. "I've been having these dreams for almost two years now, so if you planned on saying anything before then, then no, I wouldn't have believed you." He seems to be in the same position as Sakura – remembering the past so vividly while having no one to talk to about it. It must be painful.

"Almost two years?" Xander parrots. "Did you really dream of the war for so long?"

"No, before the war," says Leo. "The dreams were about life back at the castle, and they happened very infrequently. They started coming more often about a year ago, around the time Corrin… sided with us." It feels so weird uttering his name aloud. He's never done that before today. Is it even okay for him to call Corrin a brother in this life, even though they've never met? Even though they aren't actually blood related?

Leo takes another sip of wine. At this point, he really needs it.

"Well, this isn't unheard of. I've met a few people here and there who've served in the Nohrian army and relayed to others about having dreams of their time in the war," says Xander. "I've been trying to figure out what causes them to come about. Maybe keywords or phrases trigger your memories, and they come to you as dreams. Who knows? I could possibly say the name 'Corrin' to Camilla or Elise, and they'd receive their memories in the form of dreams as well."

Leo wonders what the keyword was for his dreams. "Is this something that you've been studying for a long time, Xander?"

"Yes, I have for years now," he answers. "What about your friends? Do they not remember a thing about it either?"

Just as Leo is about to answer, he remembers that Laslow was the one who served Xander faithfully. Now, the two of them are practically strangers who only know of each other through Leo. Being unable to befriend your good friend in another life? Talk about harsh. He doesn't know how he'd feel if their situations were reversed. "No, they don't remember anything. Not even when I told them about it."

Xander looks a bit defeated. He must really miss Laslow's company. "Hmm, maybe the word or phrase has to be something that was of importance to them back then. In any case, it's just your luck to find someone that does remember it all, and someone of the royal family no less," He pauses. "…Is it really as Camilla says?"

Leo grimaces. "And what did Camilla say?"

"Relax, Leo. You know Camilla always has good intentions," Xander says. "She told me that she thinks you're trying to get Sakura to date you. And that it was all ruined after the wedding."

"…Is it a problem if I was?" He asks.

"Not at all. I just didn't think she'd give you the time of day after… everything that's happened."

To be truthful, that was probably Sakura's plan to begin with. It's just that Leo just wouldn't ease up and Sakura is too nice of a person to say no. But Xander doesn't have to know that. "She's a very forgiving person."

"You never answered my question though,"Xander says after another sip of wine. "Is Camilla right?"

Leo shrugs. It's not as if he's actively trying to do so. And to be honest, he hasn't had time to think about a relationship with her when the two of them stopped talking back in June. "I don't think I have an answer for you."

"Fair enough," Xander smiles. It doesn't linger for long however. "If I may ask, what did Sakura say to you about your dreams?"

"…She wouldn't say much. She actually told me that I should just let them run its course, but I can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something from me." Leo sighs while running his fingers through his hair. "Can you fill me in on what's going on?"

Xander's whole demeanor seems to change in that moment. He seems guarded, and Leo can read the pain and guilt in his eyes. "I… I think I agree with Sakura on this one."

"Excuse me?" Leo says in bewilderment. Now Xander is hiding something from him too? What's going on here?

"Leo, I really think it's best if you just let it happen naturally."

"Nothing about this is natural!" Leo argues. "What, does something happen to you? Or Camilla? Or Elise?"

"We're fine, just–"

"Does something happen to me?"

"Stop, please–"

"Is… is Sakura okay?"

"Leo!" Xander cries, effectively quieting down his younger brother. "When the time comes, I will explain everything you need me to, and I will answer any question to the best of my abilities, but right now, you have to let it go."

The only thing he can do is nod his head. If Xander is so unwilling to tell him, maybe things do turn out for the worse. Sakura, who always puts others feelings before her own, would never tell him if something terrible happened to her, and he's sure that the only reason his brother won't say a word is out of pity. He wants to argue back, but finds himself asking,

"…Do you promise to explain everything?"

"I swear," Xander tells him.

Although it doesn't quell the terrible feeling in his stomach, Leo takes his brother's word for it.

As the professor drones on about last week's reading assignment, Leo can't help but steal glances at Sakura from across the classroom. After their late night phone call a few weeks ago, they send text messages to one another frequently, but it feels awkward talking in person. They never know what to say or how to act around each other.

He's just glad that the two of them are at least making some sort of progress. It's better than not talking to each other, after all.

Despite this, Leo wants something more than just text messaging back and forth; something like the bond they shared before his dreams became nightmares. At the same time, he knows how vulnerable Sakura has been lately, and he definitely doesn't want to become overbearing.

Leo lets out a small sigh. He declares that he's much too impatient for all of this. Briefly, Leo wonders if Sakura wants to try talking to him too, just like they used to. Of course he wants to believe that she wants to, but Leo has been second-guessing himself and overthinking more than usual.

There's the thought of, "She's only trying because she doesn't want to hurt my feelings while she ignores her own" and "She's waiting for her chance to tell me that she doesn't think this will work anymore." As much as Leo knows it isn't true, and that Sakura's missed his presence just as he missed hers, the self-doubt constantly lingers.

He looks over in her direction as her attention is on the professor. She sometimes looks away to jot down a couple notes. The moment she catches him staring, he tenses up. Sakura gives him a small smile, then a wave. Leo is at a loss for what to do at the moment, and just as he's pulled himself together to do something, she's already turned her attention back to the front of the classroom.

Leo sighs. There's another thing he's been thinking about lately – about what Xander asked him when he went for a visit. If he's trying to date Sakura. Anytime anyone asked, the answer was always, "It's not like that" or "I don't know." Hell, he'd probably still give someone that kind of answer if they asked.

But if he's going to be honest with himself, Leo knows that if Sakura announced that she had a boyfriend, he'd become terribly jealous. With the way she's been on his mind so often, Leo knows that it's unwise to sit on his feelings idly. As much as he hates to admit it, Camilla was right the entire time. He's really got it bad for her, and he'd be a fool if he didn't at least admit it to himself.

When the professor announces that class is over, Leo shoulders his backpack and heads out into the hallway. Instead of walking back to his apartment, he waits for her patiently, eying all of the students that filter out of the classroom. Sakura is one of last people to leave, and she looks thoroughly surprised when she catches sight of him.

With an outstretched hand and a smile, Leo asks, "Are you ready to go?"

Sakura's eyes drift from his face to his hand before she accepts it. Her fingers fill the spaces between his own, and Leo gives her hand a gentle squeeze as they head out of the building. She lets out a small giggle, one Leo hasn't realized he's missed so much until she's done it, and asks, "What's so funny?"

"O-oh? Um, I was just thinking…" she begins. Her cheeks are slightly red. "It's… been a while since we've been this close."

"I know," says Leo. "A shame, really."

She looks away from him, but he doesn't fail to notice the small smile that graces her lips. She must be feeling shy. "Um, d-do you really think so?"

"What?" Leo lets out a chuckle. "Of course I do. I wouldn't be holding your hand right now if I didn't. What about you?"

"M-me?" She stammers. "I… uh, m-my heart is beating really fast right now, i-if that's an appropriate answer."

"Is that a good thing?" Leo asks.

She nods. "I-I think it is, yes."

Leo can't help but smile at her. Her feelings must be mutual – they have to be. There's a comfortable silence between the two of them before Sakura asks, "You… you're really not mad at me anymore?"

Oh, how he wishes she'd stop doubting him. At the same time, he isn't one to talk. He's been doing the same thing. "Sakura, I was never mad at you. I'm okay now, really."

"R-right… I'm sorry I keep asking…"

"You don't have to keep apologizing. It's okay," Leo pauses briefly. "…And you?"

"A-and me?" She parrots.

"Do you… honestly forgive me?"

Sakura looks shocked. "I-it isn't like you to be so doubtful… Y-you're usually so confident."

He sighs. "I know but… I hurt you so badly, and I–" The gentle squeezing of his left hand throws him off guard, and she he looks at her comforting smile, he feels a little more at ease.

"I've already forgiven you," she says. "I… I know that you only did what was asked of you, s-so please, don't be so harsh on yourself. A-and besides… I could have left you alone when you turned your back on me, but I didn't. You don't have a thing to be sorry for."

No, she couldn't have left him alone when he turned his back on her. The point was to stop the Nohrian army from storming the castle, not to run away and hide. He stops walking, and in turn, Sakura stops and turns to face him. They stand face to face atop the cobblestone bridge as autumn leaves flutter from the treetops and into the river below them.

There's a sense of déjà vu. They've done something like this before, looking into each other's eyes in such proximity of each other, and on this same exact spot on this bridge. Though, Leo feels that the last time they stood at this exact same spot, he was happy. That isn't the case this time. "You and I both know that isn't true, Sakura," says Leo. "If you just let me walk away, what good would that have done?"

She tries to argue back, but he doesn't give her the chance. "You're the most kindhearted person I know, Sakura, but please don't say things like that just to make me feel better. You were only trying to protect your country. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes."

"But… b-but I just wanted you to know that it wasn't your fault…" She mumbles, looking down at her feet.

It isn't until Leo places his hands on her shoulders that she's able to look into his eyes. "I know, and I understand that now. But I don't want you to convince me that I wasn't at fault by saying, 'maybe if I did something different.' Nothing you could have done would've changed anything, so please don't shift the blame on yourself by saying that it was something you did or didn't do. Alright?"

"O-okay, I promise. I won't do it again."

The smile on his face returns and Leo removes his hands from her shoulders. "You better."

Sakura's lips curve into a smile before she lets out a laugh and takes his hand into her own. This was the normalcy he'd been craving. Her bubbly laughter and warm smiles are just a few of the many things he's missed about her. The ugliness of the war still looms over his head, but with Sakura by his side, Leo is ready to face each and every detail his memories have to offer.