Happenstance (Fire Emblem Fates)

Pragmatic

A/N: Today was my last day of school so I'm finally free. This chapter escalates rather quickly so I guess there's action in store in the next few.

Quick note: Anankos can detect emotions from quite some distance. I described it as him stretching his consciousness but basically he can read emotions.

---

"Was it really necessary to jump out the window?" Takumi rubbed at the arm that he fell on and winced at the sharp pain that ran through him. Anankos kept quiet as a response and his partner nearly cried out in frustration.

Takumi's eye twitched and he grabbed his injured arm with his good hand, biting back a yelp. "Why couldn't you be the one to feel this? Can you even feel this?"

The dragon sighed. In hindsight, it was a bad idea, but how else were we going to get out?

Takumi halted his steps and seemed visually aggravated as his voice raised into a yell. "Oh, I don't know - the front door?"

When he didn't receive a response, the boy continued his tirade. "For being an ancient dragon, you sure have no common sense... what kind of dragon even are you?"

Technically I haven't had my dragon form for hundreds of years," he rebutted lamely, nor did I put much thought into how weak your body is.

"Hmph," his partner responded, crossing his arms out of habit and letting out a quiet 'ow' at the pain it caused him. Anankos stifled a laugh, causing Takumi to flush in embarrassment.

"You know what...!"

Ah, no need to huff, Taki, he soothed, There's no need for us to argue. We're stuck together and I'm the one person you can't storm out of a room from and avoid.

Takumi bit his tongue at the allusion to his conversation with Hinoka, prohibiting himself from lashing out at Anankos about wanting privacy. He twitched before taking a deep breath and composing himself. He'd have to work on his temper, especially if there would always be somebody watching and undermining his every move.

He sighed. "You're right. We've gotta work together," he then smirked deviously, "And it wouldn't hurt for you to have common sense and not think jumping out the window is the best escape plan."

... Can we put that behind us?

Takumi snickered. "You sure don't act like a dragon."

Anankos was about to rebut until he put some thought into it. He hadn't always acted so... human. He could remember being a lot more carefree in his time with Ryuurei and the people of Valla, but once his degeneration began to eat away at him, he had changed. He had become the dragon that possessed innocent humans and pitted them against one another for his own amusement.

However, with Azura's song and his dragonstone, his draconic instincts had been repressed. He had returned to his more human personality - for now, at least. He could rely on Azura as Ryuurei's descendant to bring him back to normal.

But without my draconic half, am I even a dragon? He asked rhetorically, half-expecting an answer from his partner. He had a feeling that Takumi hadn't fully grasped the concept of his dichotomy, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"... I'd say so," Takumi answered after a few moments, deciding to continue walking instead of wasting time standing around. "You may act like a human but that doesn't mean you are one."

Anankos lay back as his partner trekked towards the Windmire house, absorbing the words. A lion wearing sheep's clothing was still a lion, so why would he be any different? He was a dragon sharing a body with a human, degeneration or not. His dragon half would eventually claw its way back and nothing would be different.