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Corrin –or was it Kamui now, with all the times her Hoshidan family and allies had called her that? It didn’t matter, she took both names with pride- knew her Elise. She knew her sister. She knew Elise hated fighting. Hated when her family fought. When they were younger, Elise would always cry and wail whenever Leo and Corrin got into scuffles with each other. Her face would turn a brilliant shade of red and big, fat tears would roll down her face as she clung to their clothing. She wouldn’t let go, either, not until they had made up.
It was a widely regarded fact around the castle that upsetting Elise was a fate worse than death. When she cried, it seemed as though everyone would know about it eventually. The perpetrators of Elise’s tears gained not only the ire of the royal family and their retainers, but of Elise’s own two very strong retainers as well (Corrin had once been regaled with a tale of how Effie benched a ten foot tree. At first she thought Elise was just making things up, but having just fought with Effie moments before suddenly made the story much more believable). It was an unspoken rule that whoever made Elise cry needed to be punished. Often by multiple people in a variety of ways over the course of a few days. And then some, if the servants held a large enough grudge to continue sabotaging laundry or meals. Elise was, of course, a beloved part of the kingdom. A beacon of light to all.
Corrin loved her Norhian family as much as she had come to love her Hoshidan one. As they advanced through Nohr to dethrone Garon, she felt as if her heart was being split in two whenever she had to battle one of her siblings. It must have been worse for Elise, who hated fighting even more. Their confrontation with Xander was probably something that she had dreaded to see happen. Corrin knew Elise and her ways, though. When Elise saw a problem, she stopped at nothing to fix it. She was reckless, that way, and often got into huge amounts of trouble for her efforts.
Which is precisely why, as Corrin defended against Xander’s blade, she kept an eye on their youngest sibling, who stood trembling off to the side. It was hard dividing her attention like that; Xander was a merciless opponent, and Corrin felt her Noble Yato shake in her hands with each hard blow that threatened to wrench the sword out of her hands.
A cry escaped her mouth as another strike sent her to the ground. Bright lights seemed to dance across her closed lids as her head hit the floor, momentarily dazing her. In the background, Corrin could hear Ryoma and the others shout her name, but everything seemed so far away at that moment. Her ears picked up the sound of shifting armor and weapons being drawn. Corrin wouldn’t let them interfere. This was her battle to fight; something meant to be only between her and her older brother. Xander was prideful, he wouldn’t accept her resolve if she needed help to defeat him. She shouted to them.
“Stay back!”
“Kamui-“
“I need to do this! I need to be the one to make him understand!”
Corrin blearily opened one eye, then the other, taking in the sight of Xander standing before her. His face was closed off, set in a determined façade. This was not her brother. Not the big brother who had given her rides on his shoulders and held her close during nightmares. He wasn’t the same person who brushed her hair while she brushed Elise’s as Leo leaned against Camilla, listening to her read to them.
The man who stood before her was Xander, Crown Prince of Nohr. He who carried out his duty to his country with steadfast determination and a face carved out of stone. Corrin felt doubt creep up her back. How was she to change this man into the one she knew? Were their familial ties meant to end here?
“What say you, Corrin? Will you continue to march against Nohr? Against the family that raised you?”
“Xander, please, if you would only just listen! Talk with us, big brother! The Hoshidans wish not of Nohr’s destruction, but of the ushering of a new age. King Garon –the man we call Father- has razed this country and plundered the surrounding territories into turmoil with his quest for power!”
“You dare speak against Father?! He took you in, allowed you to live protected under his roof!” Xander yelled.
“You know it in your heart what he’s truly doing! I know it as well. If you worked with Ryoma and the others, both Hoshido and Nohr could rebuild themselves better! They could be at peace, something Garon will never let happen as long as he’s on the throne!”
Corrin met her brother’s eyes, gazing imploringly at him. Xander had grown up to create the perfect image of a prince, which he wore with stunning efficiency. But Corrin knew that his mask had cracks in it when around his family. She just had to find one and work to break it further.
“We don’t have to fight. I hate this,”
Xander shook his head, raising his sword.
“If that is your answer, then very well,” he took a step forward, but Corrin refused to take a step back. She rose on unsteady feet, “you will die fighting for your cause…”
Xander hesitated, and Corrin saw her big brother in that instant. In the same moment, out of her peripheral vision, a figure in pink and black rush towards them. Elise. She was so reckless. She was going to get hurt if she came near them.
“I will defend my homeland!”
Xander swung Siegfried in an arc, shattering through armor and cutting through flesh. Blood spilled to the floor, along with the sound of bodies skidding across the stone.
Corrin felt numb. She could barely process what had just happened. The events were hazy, as if she couldn’t remember how she got from one point to the other. The room was silent, or maybe her ears weren’t working anymore.
Then, Elise screamed. The sound must have rung with a bloodcurdling reverberation, but Corrin couldn’t really tell since most of her blood seemed like it was on the floor. On Xander’s blade. On Elise, too, who Corrin had grabbed and shielded with her body as the younger attempted to run in front of Xander’s wrath. The force had sent them careening to the floor, where Corrin lay on top of her sister in a protective embrace. Siegfried had sliced clean through her armor and tore the flesh of her back apart. Perhaps the reason why Corrin couldn’t move or feel was because Xander had severed her spine? It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but Corrin found it hard to think at all to be honest.
Elise was wailing. Shrieking with panic and anguish as she crawled from under her beloved elder sister and positioned herself at her side. Corrin vaguely registered someone that sounded like Sakura joining her. Azura rushed to her side, feet becoming stained with blood. Hinoka and Takumi were shouting, calling for healers. Ryoma gave a shout of outrage and lunged at Xander, who stood there, frozen.
“CORRIN! Corrin! Can you hear me? Please, say something! Big sister!”
“E…El…ise,”
“D-Don’t worry, big sister, I’ll heal you! It’ll be alright! You’ll see!” Elise’s hands were trembling as they searched for her staff.
“S…stop.” Stop them. Xander and Ryoma were fighting, why was no one stopping them? Corrin had pleaded with her Hoshidan family not to fight with her Norhian one unless absolutely necessary. She wanted them to get along. Why couldn’t they do that?
It hurt. Everything hurt. Her heart hurt.
“B-big sister?” Sakura was at her side now. Corrin wondered when she had, but the familiar feeling of both healing rods and staves washing over her didn’t seem to provide the same warmth they usually did.
Takumi was there as well, leaning over her, “conserve your strength, Kamui. Sakura, why aren’t the rods working?!”
“T-They are! Gods, there’s just, too much damage…” The most the staves could do was prolong the inevitable, but no one wanted to admit that.
“Ryo…an...Xander…st-top,”
Azura startled, finally understanding what she wanted. She yelled with uncharacteristic ferocity to where the two eldest princes were locking blades.
“STOP IT! STOP IT, YOU TWO! You’re upsetting Corrin! Can’t you listen to her for once in your lives?! It…” It may be your last chance. Azura trailed off, unable to finish her plea. Ugly, angry tears rolled down her face.
Ryoma took one look at the songstress, then let his gaze drop to Corrin, who lay bleeding out on the ground. Her head was turned towards them, red eyes dull but pleading.
Gods, damn it!
Raijinto was abandoned carelessly on the ground as Ryoma ran back to his little sister. His thoughts were racing. The time they had spent together was too short to come to an end. He needed more; an eternity. There were still so many things he had to do. Learn more about her life without them. Take her to more Hoshidan festivals she had missed while locked away. See her get married, have children. Live happily.
“Kamui,” he breathed, dropping in front of her. He reached to cradle her, but hesitated. Moving her was dangerous, but she looked so…alone, lying on floor, despite how she was surrounded by people.
“B-ig…brot-thher,” Ryoma crumbled. Sakura and Elise had stopped casting, nothing they could have done would make the situation better. He carefully shifted Corrin’s body to cradle her to his chest, feeling blood slowly seep into his armor.
“I’m here, Kamui, I won’t let anything hurt you.”
“Xan-der…” Corrin’s eyes were unfocused, looking beyond him, to the blond man Ryoma was prepared to kill moments ago, “I…want to…”
It hurt more than words to hear his little sister calling out to the man who did this to her. Ryoma wanted to shield her away instead, but he would comply with her request.
“Prince Xander, please, lay down your sword and come here. We will…we will not attack you. Not now.”
Xander stood still, face pallid in fear and regret. He had nearly killed Elise. He almost cut down his baby sister, but instead slew his Little Princess. Corrin had saved Elise from the very blade Xander had once sworn to protect them with. He had been prepared to end her due to his duty to Nohr, but this wasn’t how he wanted it to go. Not with her saving him from another mistake. Gods, he never wanted this at all.
“Xander,” Elise sniffled, standing. Her outfit was stained red, “please, Nohr doesn’t need you. Not right now. But Corrin does. Please.”
His feet moved on their own accord, bringing him closer with each step. Ryoma turned around carefully so Corrin could face Xander.
“Xander…” red spilled down the side of Corrin’s mouth, and Xander flinched at the sight of it. He dropped to his knees and laid Siegfried to the side in favor of bringing his shaking hands up to her face. The Hoshidans shifted warily, but didn’t move otherwise.
“Little Princess…I-“
“It’s…ok…kay. Please, Xander… no…mo-re…fighting.” Corrin’s forgiveness surely knew no bounds. Xander had branded her a traitor, her siblings had all taken turns hunting her party down and battling them, and yet even on her…at this moment, she asked him to ignore what he had done and work towards peace.
“I can’t…”
“You ca-an…you guys…everyo-one from…Hoshi…are more si…milar than you think. If you work…together, you can restore…the countries to prosperity,” Corrin took wet, whistling breath, “I know you can, Xander.”
“Little Princess…” Xander let out a breath that sounded more like a sob. Elise curled into his shoulder, eyes wet and pleading.
He finally gave a weak nod of his head. There was little conviction behind it –going against Garon was something he had never even thought of doing. But…seeing what had happened to their family because of their father’s demands shook him. It made him wonder whether all that Nohr had sacrificed was worth it.
Corrin seemed satisfied and shifted her gaze, “Azura…”
“Yes, Corrin?” The songstress had taken hold of Corrin’s hand, a tearful smile across her face. If this was it, finally it, she wanted her friend’s final sight to be filled with something other than the suffering of the people most precious to her. Their constant conversation had created a deep bond between them; Azura knew that the one thing Corrin prized above all else was her loved ones’ happiness, and that she couldn’t stand when they were pained.
“Sorry…Please, watch…over them.”
“I will. We’ll…We’ll all work hard for the vision you wished for.”
Corrin closed her eyes and smiled. She could see it: Nohr, prospering and bright. Without the constant civil wars, or banditry. Resources were plentiful due to help from Hoshido and war-torn hearts were mending. Hoshido, recovering and strong. The scars from fighting fading, restoring life back to desolated areas lost to invasions. A festival in Hoshido, like the one she had attended before Mother’s death. Stalls lining the streets, smelling of food and sounding with cheer.
Her Hoshidan family was there, smiling. Her Nohrian siblings were there as well, laughing with each other. Both families as they could have been; with bonds as strong as Corrin had forged with either of them.
Ryoma and Xander conversing as they ate, speaking of political reform and the great change their countries would step towards together. Hinoka and Camilla sharing fighting tactics, describing the exhilaration of flying on their respective mounts. Takumi snorting at Leo’s face as the other prince tried Hoshidan food for the first time. Elise and Sakura giggling, darting through the streets and around their older siblings. Smiling. Happy. Not perfect, but working towards a better future.
The thought of such an ideal world brought tears to Corrin’s eyes. Maybe it would have been possible if she had chosen differently. Maybe if she worked harder to unite everyone she could have done it. Not chosen either side; neither and both at the same time. Maybe it was still possible, with this final effort she had given.
Corrin wanted to believe it would work out. Oh, how she hoped it would.
“Don’t cry…I love you everyone…”
“Thank you…”
May we meet in a new life.