(1) Just a Dream
Takumi didn't understand.
"Traitor!" He mustered as he stretched the string of his bow.
No one understood me, specifically the people of Hoshido. When I was forced to choose between Xanders and Ryoma, I shouldn't have. I should've said neither. I should've ended the war right there, but that was a dream. I didn't favor war; but peace seemed like a dream.
It was my dream.
I wanted to make that dream true. But I'd have to do more than just dream. There was a bigger mastermind behind the war. When you got rid of the mess of soldiers, there was only one person making the mess. Garon. My "father", the Norhian king, he was the one who started the mess. Now, I was just his personal pawn, but I didn't want to be. No matter what, he won't listen to reason. No matter what, I realized there cannot be peace if he stands.
Now, I realized I have to do more than dream up a rebellion .
Although, neither Nohr or Hoshido understood that. They didn't understand that the answer to peace was to work together, and overthrow the person that has been destroying the peace.
Takumi surely didn't understand that, not yet.
That's probably why he was fighting me.
"Face me, Traitor!" Takumi yelled, ignoring the fact I had a name.
Camilla opened her mouth to defend me, but I knew this fight wasn't hers to win. I had to face him. I had to make people understand, and making Takumi understand was the first step. I've been holding off any interaction with him, or anyone of Hoshido. I was to afraid to show my face to them, especially after what happened to our mother. Besides, they didn't want anything to do with a traitor of their homeland. But I knew in time I'd make it up to them. That is, after I'd finish my conquest.
"On your left!" I beckoned to Camilla as a soldier whipped their sword at her.
She flashed around quickly, jumping back after realizing how close her target was.
"Thanks darling!" She cooed over the sound of clashing swords.
I smiled at her before spinning on my heel, tripping a man onto his knees. I shooed him off, showing him mercy. Then, I made eye contact with Takumi. His glassy eyes showed pure hatred, but fear. There was so much behind his honey eyes that I didn't know. But what I did know was that it was my time. I helped Camilla knock down the soldier, then waved a quick goodbye.
"Sweets!" Camilla called. "Wherever are you going?!" She continued to speak, but her voice was drowned out by everything else.
I mumbled to myself, second questioning my decision to leave Camilla. But she was strong, I knew she would be okay without me. So I ran across the stone roads. If I could just make things better with Takumi, everyone would understand. Camilla and I wouldn't have to fight the Hoshidans. I had to try, I knew that I did.
I ducked underneath clashing swords, occasionally defending myself with my own. Slowly, I cleared a path to Takumi. He caught my eye for the second time. This time, he stared into my own. He looked uncomfortable as he stared, but at the same time, he looked ready to snap my neck.
"What do you think you're doing?" Leo asked sterly over the battle cries.
"Doing what I want," I explained.
"What? Are you going to talk to him?" Leo scoffed. "He's the one fighting us! We're just protecting ourselves. He won't listen to reason, no Hoshidans do."
"Because we haven't tried to reason with them," I complained, trying to find an opening.
Leo blocked any of my chances to run off, "No."
"Leo I just want to-" I started, only to be interrupted. I gasped quickly, "On your right!"
An arrow whizzed passed Leo's head. He tilted his head just enough for the arrow to barely get the hair on his cheeks. he cursed under his breath. I took the chance to run away, letting Leo take care of who was attacking him.
"Damn it! Corrin! What were you going to say?"
I chuckled under my breath as I ran.
"I wanted to tell you your collars inside out!" I shouted at him as I pushed through the bitter air.
He grunted in annoyance.
Takumi was closer now. He started walking his way towards me calmy. Or, at least, acting calm. I sprinted to try and meet up with him, but soldiers began surrounding me. But suddenly, I was trapped in a circle of men. The closed in slowly on me, ready to fire their arrows and swing their swords. I bit my lip, searching for another escape. At that instance, they made a wall by squeezing together. The only escape I had was crawling through their legs, which had zero percent of working. I couldn't attack, my sword barely pierced through their armor.
"Behind you," a familiar voice called.
I gasped, and turned quickly. The soldiers backed away once the prince put up his hand.
My eyes widened. Now was my chance.
"Takumi I-!"
"I'll kill her myself," Takumi interrupted.
At this point I had realized Takumi hadn't approached me for the same reason I had.
"Takumi…" I repeated, ready to plead for mercy and understanding.
Leo and Camilla rushed to my side, making their way through the crowd of Hoshido's soldiers. Lisa called my name, but I didn't respond.
"Takumi, please…" I asked politely.
Takumi looked at me questioningly, and defyingly. I slowly laid down my weapons in front of him, a small "no" came from leo. But I ignored him. I didn't want to get them in the middle of this. After all, I knew what I was doing… kinda.
"This is our fight, not theirs," I said, gesturing to my siblings. "I just wanted to explain myself. I don't want to fight, I never did."
"What is there to explain?" Takumi scoffed.
My heart started pounding. I didn't know what I was saying. I thought I did. But now it was hard to see the light hidden in my mind. The kind I only dreamed about.
"Fight me already!" Takumi demanded as he tightened his grip around the string of his bow.
I flinched back, biting my lip once more. I breathed in deeply. "No."
"What?"
"Takumi, this isn't what I want." I said nervously. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Yeah?"
"I want to fight for the peace! I don't want to fight Hoshido…"
"Then who are you fighting?"
"I'm fighting the people that are destroying peace... " I stumbled on my words as they started flowing out of my mouth. "I'm fighting you because you're fighting the peace."
Takumi laughed imitatingly, "Nohr is the 'peace'?"
I looked worriedly at the friends lined up behind me.
"No."
Takumi looked more or less confused as me. He let down his bow.
"My father-"
"Our father? The one we had both sworn our birthright to?"
"The king," I corrected, avoiding Takumi's comment. "He's not who I thought he was."
"You must be really foolish."
"Takumi, please listen… I didn't mean to betray you, any of you. All I wanted was peace, I still want peace. I'm not choosing Nohr or Hoshido."
"But you already have."
I had no idea how my speech was going. Takumi seemed to get more aggressive by the second, or maybe he was just that way when he was confused.
"I choose wrong. I should've said I wasn't going to choose either and stop the war then and there. All the king wants is more pawns to use. Like me. But I'm tired of being anyone's pawn. We have to realize the enemy isn't each other, but the mastermind behind it all."
My words were like sap from a tree. My feelings dripped into everyone's ears. My Nohr siblings looking at each other worriedly. How'd he feel about this?
Takumi froze in his track. He knew I was right, but he didn't want to accept it.
"Takumi," I continued. "I want you to fight with me, not-"
And with that, an arrow shot through my hair, stands fell onto my shoulder slowly. The howling wind filled my ears, so I couldn't hear Elise's cries. Warm blood dripped from my ear. I ran my hair through the lock of hair that got perfectly cut off. I felt the small cut on my ear, opening my mouth to continue.
But before I could, an arrow shot into my back.
