Happenstance (Fire Emblem Fates)

Waking Dreams

A/N: Another note for this chapter to avoid confusion: whenever Anankos is referred to as Ryuurei, it's from Takumi's perspective. Anankos always refers to him as, well, Anankos. This is hard to tell as this is written in third-person, but I try to give an idea of who the paragraph is focusing on. I hope this clears things up!

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Nightmares were nothing new to Takumi. For as long as he could remember, sleep would not come easy to him, and whenever he finally found himself in the world of dreams, they were night terrors. Visions of monsters and heartbreak greeted him and silhouettes of people that seemed so familiar with voices without love grated against his ears.

A girl, one so painstakingly familiar, glared down at him, but there was no hatred in her gaze. "Takumi... We can end this war together, it doesn't have to be like this-!"

"Shut up!" He growled, grip tightening around his bow. He felt the anger in his blood, the way it clouded his vision and blurred everything together, and he almost felt like there was something driving him to act. He danced a step back, closer to the edge of the wall, and aimed his arrow at the girl in front of her. "You never loved us! You killed mother! You killed Ryoma! I will never trust you!"

She withdrew her outstretched hand, eyes unreadable as a frown tugged at her lips. "I didn't want this, I didn't want this at all," she nearly cried, her head turned away from him. "I just want to end the war, Takumi. I don't want to lose anyone else..."

Tears were pricking at her eyes but he couldn't help the snarl that came. "You already chose your side. You don't deserve my help, you traitor!"

"Takumi!"

And he was falling.

Fear began to creep into his veins, the anger beginning to die down. In the heat of the moment, this seemed like the only option to take, but the longer he was in free fall, the more he regretted the decision. Something had pushed him to jump, goading him towards whatever the Bottomless Canyon held at the bottom. He hated the way a foreign feeling controlled his body and clouded his thoughts into something he could not even call his anymore.

Something in his chest felt like it was being ripped in half. He nearly screamed out in agony, the way it felt like his insides were bring clawed at, but his voice died in his throat. Instead, a dark chuckle resounded in his head before it began its mantra.

Betrayal. Betrayal. Kill them. Kill her.

Hitting the ground was painless.

In the pitch black, it was difficult to make out the bottom of the canyon. Takumi would have found it ironic that there was a bottom to the Bottomless Canyon, but the numbness in his veins and his body moving on its own accord was the focus of his attention. It walked, somehow finding its way in the darkness, and a purple aura began to surround him.

"Betrayal... Betrayal..."

Takumi felt like vomiting. Having no control over his body and watching it act like a zombie was sickening. Tears began to run down his cheeks, perhaps the only autonomy he had, and he prayed for it to stop.

Suddenly, he fell to his knees, and he could feel phantom arms around him and warmth beginning to spread through his body.

I'm sorry, Taki. I'm so sorry...

What was Ryuurei apologizing for? Takumi's body was writhing under the embrace, still hissing out curses and mantras, and the dragon did his best to calm the boy. Takumi had been reliving a memory - one from the first life and when they first became connected. Feeling the pain firsthand and understanding just what Anankos did all those years ago was beginning to spur guilt.