>>10610

Took some liberties with how it happened, but here you go.
Basically, Sakura drowns, hard to title this one.
Sakura, Fire Emblem Fates
Drowning

XXX

Everyone enjoys diving for coral in the castle springs. The water is always pleasant, not too warm, not too cool, and crystal clear. It’s an easy swim down, and the coral is such an eye-catching pink that it’s never hard to find at least some of the smithing material. It’s so natural, in fact, that it’s easy to forget just how dangerous even a small spring can be.

Sakura, though a Hoshidan princess, finds it hard to get past her timidity. But for some reason, the waters of the spring are very freeing. She often finds herself diving in her free time, always happy to share some of the spoils with Corrin when she has the chance. To her, the springs offer an escape. She can’t very well stammer under the crystal clear water, nor can her shy personality stand in her way.

And tonight is a wonderful night to swim. The deeprealms are free from time, experiencing their own shifts in day and night, and whatever moon shines over the strange keep lends an eery, though beautiful, edge to the water. Sakura loves swimming at night most of all, despite the dangers the lower visibility brings.

Of course, with how frequently she dives, the danger feels almost ridiculous. Ryoma often tells her to be cautious swimming so lagte, but the beauty of the water, the slight shine of the pink coral at the bottom of the pool, always brings her back.

Noticing a particularly choice piece of coral, more perfect even than one Subaki might find, she reaches out, grasping it eagerly in her hand. She tugs back, excited to have claimed such a prize for herself. In her excitement, however, the princess fails to notice how precarious the rocks surrounding the growth of coral are. Her haste to free her prize turns out disastrously, as the rock balanced above it tumbles, crushing her hand beneath it.

She screams, then. Or rather, she would, were there not an entire spring’s worth of water keeping her quiet. Instead, her precious air bubbles up and out of her, until she shuts her mouth in a panic. Glancing down, she realizes her hand isn’t quite as damaged as it seemed. The rock is wedged so that its weight does not land entirely on her, but holds her down by the wrist.

She shakes her head, relieved the damage is minimal. She pulls back her hand, eager to free herself and return to the surface, as her lungs begin to burn from the strain of holding her breath. It wouldn’t be so bad, had she not panicked and wasted so much of her air. But the rock will not budge. Her hand won’t come free. Cold panic seizes her once more. She grabs her wrist with her free hand, tugging harder. Still, she makes no progress. Truly growing frantic, she braces her feet against the stone, and begins to push with her legs as well. She feels the rock digging into her, and feels a sharp pain as her hand moves a few agonizing inches.

Blood begins pouring from the cut the rock leaves behind, but Sakura knows she can’t hesitate. She’s beginning to feel weak, faint, and tugs all the harder. Finally, she manages to free herself, the perfect piece of coral long forgotten as she fought for her life. The princess looks up, then, seeing the light of the moon that promises her salvation, and attempts to kick upward, swimming towards it. Her movements are so sluggish, though, so weak. Even the adrenaline coursing through her veins, making her heart race, isn’t enough to grant her the strength to swim.

Despite her efforts, she doesn’t gain even an inch towards the surface. Suddenly, she wishes she had brought Hana or Subaki along. Or that Corrin or Ryoma would happen along on patrol, or perhaps Hinoka, who would swoop in at the last second as she always seems to do… but no one comes.

She continues kicking her legs feebly, desperately, as her lungs scream for relief. Her body needs air, and despite her insistence against it, her mouth opens. She gasps, praying for the sweet taste of night air, but instead the water of the springs rushes into her lungs, filling them. She reaches up, clutching her throat, squeezing as if she could keep the water out, but it is no use.

Sakura feels an intense pain, then, coupled with the knowledge that she’s met her end in the spring she loves so dearly. She gazes up at the moonlight, one last time, as her vision fades.

XXX

By the time someone passes by the spring, the hour as late as it is, Sakura's body has floated to the surface. Retrieving her bloated body from the water leaves the army's morale in shambles. It's one thing, losing a comrade on the battlefield, but somehow death like this seems utterly senseless in comparison.