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The first time they meet, it's on opposite sides of the battlefield.
The clash of weapons and the cries of the wounded fill the air as Elise and Sakura dart around the landscape, tending to the sorely needy and evading the front lines themselves. They never look up from their work; their curiosity is strong, but their sense of duty to their counties - and their families - is stronger.
It's only when a hasty "Retreat!" is called that either of them dare to risk a glance at the enemy.
And so the first time Elise and Sakura lock eyes, the taste of defeat hangs in the air.
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The second time they meet, it's purely by accident.
Sakura had wanted to come along with Takumi, Saizo, and the others, fearing that they'd be gravely wounded and there wouldn't be anyone there to patch them up.
"We'll be fine, Sakura," Takumi had told her a million times in return. "We have plenty of vulneraries; besides, this is a sneak attack. With luck, it'll be over before those Nohrians even have a chance to retaliate."
"...If you say so, big brother," Sakura had responded, half wanting to believe that they would be alright.
In the end, she had gone after them anyway, too worried about the group's well-being to do anything else. Which was why she was crouched in the middle of a small forest, nervously clutching her staff, senses on high alert to detect any unwanted visitors.
When she does hear the crunching of leaves underneath someone's boot, Sakura's first instinct is to make herself as small as possible, curling in on herself and hardly daring to breathe. When she hears the sound of a young girl's humming, her second instinct is to get that girl away from here, because for all Sakura knew she could be an innocent bystander in the coming battle.
"You...you shouldn't be here!" Sakura hesitantly steps out into the open, holding her staff close for comfort. "It isn't safe, and - "
"Oh, I know!" A bright voice chirps back at Sakura, who practically jumps a foot in the air from shock. "I'm actually a little lost, though, so...do you know the way out of here?"
Sakura turns slowly, eyes growing wide as she fully faces the speaker. "It's you!"
Elise pauses in her tracks, recognition in her eyes as well. "Oh! Aren't you the youngest sister in the royal family? Sakura, right?"
"Y-yeah! And you're...Elise?"
"Yup! Although," Elise squints at Sakura, temporarily suspicious. "What are you doing here? Are you guys attacking?"
Sakura stands there, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot.
"No worries, I won't tell." Elise kicks a rock on the ground, sending it flying deeper into the foliage. "I can't even find my way out of these trees."
An awkward silence falls between them, in which both girls sneak glances at each other.
Elise finally speaks up, averting her gaze to the muddy ground. "You know...I might get into trouble for saying this, but aren't you tired of this war?"
Suddenly at a loss for words, Sakura can only gape at Elise and nod. Because she was tired, so tired, of all the needless violence and the countless injuries she tended to every night and -
"Sakura! I know you're there! It's time to head back!" Takumi's voice rings through the clearing.
Sakura glances at Elise, almost apologetic. "I have to go, but...maybe we can keep in touch?"
Elise grins, her smile blindingly bright. "Sure! I'd like that."
Sakura turns to leave, hesitates, then turns back around. "By the way...if you follow the trail of broken twigs that I left behind, you'll make it out of here."
She stays behind long enough to fall victim to another one of Elise's smiles, then scurries out of the forest to catch up with her brother.
(And if, later that night, Sakura sends out her messenger bird with a letter tied to its leg, it's only because she wishes to correspond with the others back home.
At least, that's what she tells her curious siblings.)
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The third time they meet, it's in the middle of the holiday season.
The two armies slowly come to an unofficial, uneasy truce, each letting the other take a break from the fighting and relax for a few days. Soon enough, one soldier realizes that their camps are set up near a small village, and the word somehow gets passed around both armies, to the point where almost everyone is clamoring to go.
Xander and Ryouma let them. Because what was the use of a...vacation, of sorts, if no one could enjoy themselves?
The same morning that many Hoshidan troops discard their armor and their weapons to trek down to the village together, Sakura's bird returns to her, looking rather disheveled and with a tiny folded note tied to his leg.
"Rest, now," Sakura murmurs, gently untying the note and placing the bird next to her on the bedroll.
The bird lets out a defeated squawk, collapsing onto the soft material and immediately falling asleep.
Cautiously smoothing out the paper on her legs, Sakura begins reading out loud.
"To my dear friend, Sakura." Sakura's face flushes a light pink. "Please join me in town today. Dress conspicuously; I'll meet you in the center, where the large fountain is."
She had to admit; it was unlike Elise's usual style of writing. Even though they were friends now, somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura still suspected that this was a trap.
"Old habits...they really do die hard," she sighs, unfolding her legs in a stretch. But Sakura had no other choice - she had to trust Elise if she wanted to have a nice day around town today with a...
"With a friend," Sakura whispers, the trace of a smile starting to make its way across her face.
She pats her bird one last time, then straightens her shirt and stands up to exit the tent.
For once in her life, Sakura was determined to enjoy what little free time she had.
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"Over here! Over here!"
Sakura's head turns instinctively towards the spun of Elise's voice, but she doesn't get a chance to respond before she's wrapped in a bone-crushing hug.
"You really did come!" Elise whispers directly into Sakura's ear. "I'm so sorry about the last letter - big brother Leo was in the same room as I was, and I couldn't risk being found out - "
"No! No, it's… it's fine. Really." Sakura smiles, already feeling lighthearted. "I'd probably do the same thing, too."
Elise waves her hand nonchalantly, but Sakura can sense the relief coming off of the other girl. "But that's enough brooding for today. Come on, let me show you around!"
Sakura's smile never leaves her face as she's dragged around the town, her hand tightly grasped in Elise's own. Elise keeps up a steady flow of conversation; she explains the traditions behind the festival, she insists that Sakura try the local dishes because they are to die for -
And at the end of the day, she shows Sakura the best place to watch the fireworks.
Breathless from their long trek up the hill, Sakura sits down heavily on the ground. "Nohr celebrates with fireworks, too? I…thought that was a Hoshido thing."
"Oh, we do it too!" Elise beams, staring into the sky expectantly. "They're so beautiful, with all the different colors and the sounds and - look! It's starting now!"
Even though she's seen them thousands of times, Sakura turns her face to the sky, letting the booms and the bright lights wash over her.
And maybe it's because they're still drunk on happiness, maybe it's the fireworks that create the romantic atmosphere, but both girls lean in closer and closer to each other until their lips touch -
And for a moment, they're just two girls in love, sharing a kiss under the starry night sky.
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The fourth time they meet, their cover is blown.
Corrin had dragged both families, Nohr and Hoshido, to a meeting, because she was tired of all this fighting that could be resolved if both sides would just sit down and /talk/ to each other.
So she had done the next best thing to ending the war - she had somehow cornered both families into being in the same place at the same time, and refused to let them go until both sides could at least be civil with each other.
Which...hadn't gone as smoothly as Corrin had hoped. In fact, the only thing that had come out of that disaster of a meeting was getting her suspicions about Elise and Sakura confirmed.
She waits until the two families have parted; waits until Ryouma and Takumi are distracted enough to not care about what happens in the back of their little procession march; waits until Sakura is alone and undistracted before gently putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder and holding her back.
"Ah! C-Corrin, is there something wrong...?" Sakura peers up curiously at her half-sibling.
"No, no! Please don't worry. It's just..." Corrin smiles, eyes twinkling mischievously. "You and Elise? Since when has that been a thing?"
Sakura squeaks, face turning a lovely tomato red. "How did you know?? Was it that obvious?"
Corrin snorts. "Like I said, don't worry about it. If the dense rocks that I have as brothers didn't even notice you and Elise eyeing each other during that meeting, then I doubt they'll notice anything else."
Sakura squeaks again, burying her face in her hands.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Corrin sighs, absentmindedly ruffling Sakura's hair. "I guess I've missed teasing someone. Really, though, you're fine."
"Are you...sure?" Sakura lifts her head from her hands the tiniest bit.
"Positive." Corrin winks, holding a finger to her lips. "I promise I'll never tell a soul."
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"And for what?" Takumi hisses. "What could be so important that you would turn against your own family?"
Sakura huddles at the top of the stairway, listening in on the argument downstairs even though she knew she was supposed to be safely in her room.
"Oh...! Oh, Takumi," Corrin's desperate voice echoes through the castle. "I promised I wouldn't tell, but - things could be so much better if we made peace, don't you think?"
"We? There is no 'we' in this matter. You are either with Hoshido or against Hoshido. Now, will you at least tell me the reason for your sudden desertion, or will I have to assume that you simply don't consider us family anymore?"
A frustrated groan. Then -
"I knew you were dense, but...Takumi! Your own sister! Your own sister has managed to find the good in the so-called 'enemy' and you're here, nursing old wounds! Takumi, I understand, I really do, but please - please open your /eyes/ -"
"Corrin. What. Do. You. Mean."
Sakura holds her breath, praying /please please please please/ -
"What do I mean? I mean that Sakura is in love and if young, fragile Sakura can find it in herself to trust Nohr, then maybe there's hope for them, after all."
"SAKURA!" Takumi booms. "SAKURA, COME DOWN HERE!"
Whimpering slightly and clutching her shawl closer to her chest, Sakura descends the stairs as slowly asshe can.
"Y-Yes, brother - "
"Is this true? Are you - " Takumi's face contorts itself into some form of distaste - "seeing someone in the Nohrian royal family?"
Sakura looks at Corrin, who only stares dejectedly at the floor, a hand over her mouth. "Well...well, yes, b-but - "
"We are at WAR, Sakura! They are our enemy, don't you realize that? You can't just - "
Takumi cuts himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I apologize. I shouldn't have yelled. But I am forbidding you from seeing whoever it is ever again."
Sakura can already feel the tears pooling behind her eyes. "But - brother - !"
"Absolutely. No. Buts." Takumi whirls around, heading up the stairs to his own room. "And you, Corrin. Out."
When Sakura hears the slam of Takumi's door, she finally lets herself cry.
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They don't meet again for a while.
Sakura sends out one last message by bird, explaining her situation and apologizing profusely; from the minute she sends her bird out to deliver the letter, Sakura can't sit still because of how nervous she is.
When she does get a reply, she makes sure to memorize the curve of every letter, the way that Elise dotted her I's with hearts, the minuscule blots of ink that served as periods.
Sakura throws the letter into the fire, refusing to let anyone have access to this one thing, wanting to keep Elise's words for herself.
She sits, watching the ends of the paper curl in on themselves and the ink slowly start to bleed away. Watching as Elise's last letter crumbles into ashes.
("Don't apologize! I understand. Please stay safe. I love you.")
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"She's dead."
Sakura just blinks up at Takumi. "W...what?"
"She's...dead." Takumi grimaces, carding a hand through his hair. "Lord Xander...he accidentally killed Elise when she jumped in front of Corrin. He was originally aiming for Corrin, but..."
For the second time in her life, Sakura holds back tears for Elise. Except maybe she isn't so good at it this time, she thinks, because Takumi's expression changes from apologetic to almost worried.
"I'm...I really am sorry for all those things I said long ago. I guess I never really realized how - how important Lady Elise was to you."
Takumi slips off of Sakura's bed, softly padding towards the door. He looks over his shoulder one last time, regret deep in his eyes.
"I hope you'll forgive me, dear sister."
Sakura manages a small smile, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
"You were only doing what you thought was right. I...I think I forgave you long ago."
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The fifth time they meet, it's in a dream.
Sakura can only stand there in awe as Elise approaches her, completely healthy, looking like she had just woken up from a refreshing nap. She can only stand there, mouth half open, even as Elise stretches out her arms.
"Not even going to give me a hug after so long? You're still as shy as before, aren't you?"
Finally convinced that this was real (this was /real/, Elise was here, /her/ Elise was here), Sakura lets out a sob and launches herself into Elise's arms.
"Come on, don't cry. This is supposed to be happy," Elise teases, even though Sakura can clearly hear the tears threatening to spill out of Elise as well.
"How...how are you here? It's been so long, I'm so so sorry - "
"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to apologize?" Elise's eyes twinkle in the dim light as she looks at Sakura. "As for why, I'm not too sure myself. Maybe it's because it's almost time for you to go?"
A beat of silence.
Elise winces. "Uh, okay, that came out worse than I thought it would."
Sakura just shakes her head, clinging onto Elise's hands as if they were the last things she'd ever hold. "No! Don't you start apologizing too. If it's...if its time for me to go, then I'll go. It's awfully lonely here, anyway."
"Twenty years? You've been miserable for twenty whole years? Sakura, you know I would have wanted you to be happy - "
"I know, I know! But I couldn't bring myself to love again. I couldn't...no one else really compares to you. I just couldn't."
"Sakura..." Elise leans her head against Sakura's, smiling softly. "Sakura, I have to go now, but I'll be waiting here for you no matter what. I love you, okay?"
"Wait! Don't go! I miss you so much - "
Sakura wakes up, hand in the air, the words "I love you, too" forming on her lips.
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The sixth time they meet, both of them know it's for good, this time.
"Welcome home," Elise grins, holding out a hand to escort Sakura to her - no, their - new place, pressing a gentle but eager kiss to Sakura's cheek.
"Home," Sakura murmurs, testing out the word. Because although she wasn't with her family anymore, this really did feel more like home - she was with the person she loved most in the world, and she was genuinely happy, something Sakura hasn't been in a long time.
Sakura grasps Elise's hand in her own, grinning back.
"I'm home."