Forsaken
By P.T. Piranha

This story contains heavy Conquest spoilers, and probably some Revelation spoilers.

The inspiration for this story is a post by user "epictacticianjay" on tumblr. It described an alternate version of Conquest. If you don't already know, I won't give it away. It inspired this fic, but there will be some changes here or there.

Shout out to LovelyLori for being Beta Reader/Creative Consultant.

No. No, this can't be happening!

Sakura could only watch in terror at the carnage going on around her.

She and her family had finally gotten their brother Corrin back, and he was leaving them again. But why? It didn't make any sense! It had only just happened, but Sakura couldn't help replaying it in her head, again and again. Corrin had declared allegiance to Nohr. She just didn't understand. She thought they would be a family again, but no. Mother had died protecting Corrin, so why would he fight alongside those who'd orchestrated her death?

This had to be a nightmare. All of her siblings were fighting Corrin. And he wasn't just fighting back- he was actively seeking them out, to defeat all of them! Takumi and Hinoka went straight for Corrin, but he put them down, as though they were novices. Corrin and his… real family, she somberly noted, the ones he loves more than us…

Elsewhere, Ryoma had fallen to the high prince of Nohr. He wasn't dead, but it was a decisive loss. And that's when it hit Sakura: she was all alone. Her brothers and sister had all fallen to the might of the Nohrians. And she was next. She had to be. Corrin approached her soon enough. Sakura felt her breathing grow frantic. Was she about to be struck down by the man who was meant to be her brother? She pleaded with Corrin, her stammer even worse than usual.

"Are you r-really gonna f-fight me?" Of course he is. I'm weak. An easy target. Just a helpless girl who couldn't even heal her own family… "All I ever w-wanted was to l-love you!" Why do you hate us?! She might have started crying, if she'd said anymore. Sakura just wanted this to be a bad dream. She would wake up on the morning before the festival. Mother would still be alive. Ryoma and Hinoka would train Corrin. Takumi would teach her more archery, and then after a long day, Azura would tell Sakura another scary story, over Sakura's protests.

But this was no dream.

"I'm sorry, Sakura… You didn't do anything wrong. But… but I'm going to need you to… to rest for a while…"

"No…" Her heart nearly stopped. Corrin truly intended to fight her. She almost wanted him to finish her now, Sakura didn't know if she could bear the agony for much longer. But the attack never came. Sakura's breathing slowed to a normal rate, but she was far from relaxed. "Wh-what are you waiting for…?"

He sighed. "I… I can't do it."

Sakura heard him mumbling to himself, but none of it registered to her. She just watched, as the prince sheathed Yato and walked away, watching his feet. He spared me? Why did he not attack me? Does… does he still care about me deep down? At that point, she glanced down at herself. No… He pities me. I'm so small and frail, he couldn't bring himself to treat me the same as the others. … And I can't blame him. I couldn't do anything for my family... I really am weak...

It appeared that the battle was over, the Nohrians were falling back, allowing the Hoshidan troops to run home and lick their wounds. Alone on the bridge, Sakura wondered if having to watch her siblings fall one by one was truly the more merciful fate.

The trek back to Castle Shirasagi was long and quiet.

Sakura had helped see to their wounds, but nothing could be done for her family's spirits. She had never seen her siblings this broken up before, not even when Mother had died. Ryoma was quietly furious, Hinoka was despondent, and Takumi appeared to be experiencing both of these extremes at once. Even Azura seemed different. While her mother's prisoner (on paper) was always aloof, today she seemed even further than usual.

When they had returned to the castle two mornings later, Ryoma said something odd. He had told all the servants, and even all his siblings that this was only temporary. Corrin would return, he promised. But Sakura didn't believe it for one second. Corrin had chosen to stay in Nohr of his own accord. She was there at the festival, she knew that he had recovered all his memories. Yet with those memories, he still took their side.

Thus Sakura inferred that Ryoma was either in denial, or he had intended to make Corrin their prisoner. Neither of these possibilities brought any comfort.

Neither sleep nor tears came to Sakura. Not until she was home. The youngest felt that her siblings had hurt enough that day, they didn't need to hear her sobs on the long journey and feel even worse. But as soon as she was alone in her room, prematurely dressed for bed, it all came out. The whole world disappeared, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts, her memories, her despair.

She closed her eyes, but instead of black nothingness, she saw her mother. She saw Mikoto's wounded form, amidst rubble, as intense smoke filled the air. Sakura tried to heal her, she tried again and again. But instead of healing Mikoto, blood began to spread from her wounds, staining her robes. But Sakura couldn't stop, she kept waving her festal, but it kept hurting Mikoto. Eventually Sakura was up to her ankles in Mikoto's blood.

Sakura closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Corrin was standing before her, replacing Mikoto. He had a look in his eye, a gaze she found cold and… terrifying. In an instant, he himself was replaced with a familiar dragon. The beast let out a mighty roar, knocking Sakura down. He crouched down, ready to pounce, as Sakura threw aside her festal. She accepted her fate, as tears streamed from her eyes.

"Lady Sakura?"

Sakura gasped. Her breathing was erratic, and her face felt wet. She looked and found both her retainers at her bedside. It was rare to see Subaki look so concerned. The cherry-haired girl didn't remember falling asleep, but when she looked out the window and saw the evening sky, there could be no argument.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Hana asked her.

They're too good for me. What could a useless princess like me even need retainers for in the first place? "I… I'll be fine… It was just a b-bad dream…" If only the last few days were all a bad dream…

Subaki wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? Perhaps we could fetch Orochi and maybe she could-"

"No thank you…"

Then Hana changed the subject. "Well, it's good timing that you woke up. Dinner will be ready soon. Unless… you'd rather stay here?" A light appeared in Hana's eyes, she looked so desperate to be helpful. "We could bring you your food!"

"No… I'll come to the dining room…" Her voice betrayed nothing about how tired she still felt. As tempting as it would be to just stay in her room forever, Sakura knew she could not do that. Not until her family realized how worthless she was, at least.

Sakura didn't know what to expect when she came to the table. Ryoma wasn't even there. Hinoka and Takumi were simply staring at their food. Sakura wondered if they were only at dinner out of obligation like she was. Only Azura seemed to be eating, though she did not appear to enjoy it.

Nobody spoke for the longest time. Sakura thought they would actually go the whole meal in silence, until finally Hinoka broke it.

"I won't fail him again."

"Sister?" Takumi looked up from the food he had finally begun to eat.

"That's twice I've let him slip through my fingers." She was still staring at her food. "Well not again. I'll bring him back, with my own hands if I have to!"

Takumi went back to staring at his food. "Hmph. He'd just try to leave again."

"Don't say that, Takumi!" Sakura's sister glared.

"Well he would!" Takumi wasn't backing down. "If Corrin loved us, he wouldn't have left us behind! He wouldn't have sided with those devils and attacked us! He's not our brother any more than Azura is our sister!"

Sakura caught the sad look in Azura's eyes. "Takumi…"

"Shut up! I wouldn't be surprised if you had something to do with this!"

Hearing the accusation, Hinoka slammed her fists on the table and turned to Takumi, looking him dead in the eyes, narrowing hers. "Takumi… that's enough."

Sakura felt a chill. Never before had she heard Hinoka speak in such a way, pure anger masked by tranquility. For the first time in a while, Sakura felt… scared of Hinoka.

"… I'm not hungry." Takumi dismissed his meal and left the room. The young princess looked down at her food and shut her eyes.

"I… I don't think I'm hungry either," Sakura announced.

That was the first and last thing she had said to her family all evening.

The next few days were all a blur to Sakura. Her duties as a shrine maiden would not wait for her to stop being pathetic. In fact, the shrine needed her now more than ever. While Mikoto had her duties as the queen of this realm, she would occasionally assist the monks and the shrine maidens. Sakura would now be expected to take on the responsibilities to the shrine Mikoto had left behind, as a full-fledged priestess rather than a mere maiden.

Her promotion felt hollow. Unearned. It was around that time when Sakura realized something: as sweet and charming and mysterious as Corrin was (she had described him to Subaki and Hana in as many words), losing him didn't hurt her as much as it seemed to hurt the others. The true grievance that mercilessly gnawed at Sakura was the realization of how helpless she was. Sakura could only watch as her mother and dozens of innocent townspeople were killed. She could do nothing but witness her own family fall to the might of Corrin and his 'true' siblings. All she was good for was pitifully waving her Bloom Festal after the damage had been done.

The last straw was when Yukimura told everyone the news of Azura's disappearance. She had been taken away, kidnapped by rogue Hoshidan soldiers. Ryoma scrambled to work out a rescue plan, over Takumi's protests. Ultimately, nothing came of it. Since their family had lost three members in quick succession, Ryoma thought he needed to get stronger. Hoshido's heir left to seek the Rainbow Sage and gain power. Originally, he would have traveled with Takumi to meet up with a resistance group in some Nohrian town, but now the younger prince had to do it on his own.

Perhaps it was the maddening sense of worthlessness, but Sakura suddenly felt… motivated. She could hear a quiet voice in her head, it sounded a lot like Hinoka. It encouraged Sakura, telling her to get stronger. To protect whatever remained of her family.

Surprising even herself, Sakura intercepted Takumi and his retainers as they tried to leave Shirasagi.

"You want to go with us?" the archer asked.

"Yes! Takumi, please allow me to join you! I… I want to prove myself, and help you! You t-taught me how to wield a yumi, I… I'm ready to do whatever it takes for Hoshido!"

That was when, for the first time in recent memory, Sakura actually saw Takumi's eyes widen. Instead of a perennial glare, he actually looked… thoughtful. Even Hinata and Oboro seemed to notice. The boy spoke. "Sakura… are you sure? This won't be easy. And people are going to get hurt. They'll die, and you won't be able to heal them all. You might even have to hurt someone yourself."

Sakura took a deep breath, privately cursing Takumi for making her linger on this decision. But she had to go with him. She refused to stay behind and remain dead weight. "I know that, Takumi."

"And this won't be abandoning your duties as a priestess?"

"Well… it will be. But it occurred to me th-that the shrine won't see much use if Nohr conquers us. Seeing as they worship a different dragon…"

"Does Lady Hinoka know about this?" she heard Hinata ask. Takumi's anger returned.

"No one asked you, Hinata!"

The princess found herself taking another breath, as she attempted to maintain eye contact with her brother. "Hinoka left to protect the Rainbow Sage. S-so I'll be the only one left, unless I leave with you." She bowed. "Please, let me help you!"

She could hear Oboro's voice. "Lord Takumi, what shall we do?"

There was a long pause, until finally, Takumi answered. "… All right. Find Subaki and Hana and meet us in town."

Sakura let out a breath she had been holding. "Thank you, Brother!" This is my chance. Takumi is allowing me to redeem myself. I mustn't fail again.

Their journey to Nohr led to the Bottomless Canyon. Sakura hated it there. A sense of dread lingered in the air. The princess wagered that even the most hardened soldier would feel discomforted.

Everything happened so fast. Takumi stood a little too close to a ledge because they had tried to use a Dragon's Vein to traverse a chasm. He slipped and nearly plummeted into the abyss. Sakura reached out, but Takumi was too heavy, causing her to fall down with him, all before Subaki could rescue them.

They eventually found themselves back near the cliff, where they had fallen before. Subaki was still scanning the canyon for them apparently, and alerted everyone to their location.

"I… don't know what happened," Takumi confessed. Sakura didn't even know the answer herself.

"Takumi… I don't want to… to stay here any longer. I'm getting a headache…"

Takumi nodded. "Yeah, this place is giving me the creeps. Are you saying you want to go home?"

"N-no... Just that we should move on."

The prince stood up, and Sakura supposed he was telling the others what their plan going forward would be. But all she could think about was how, in spite of their unknowable recovery, she failed to save Takumi.

Her headache worsened.

To be continued.