"Mommy! Mommy!"
"Yes?"
"Come look!"
"I'm coming!" Sakura let out a slight sigh as she made her way towards the tiny voice. "What is it?"
"Look! Look!" Her daughter showed her a big smile, poking one of her teeth. It wiggled slightly.
"Wow! Is that a loose tooth? Good for you, Mikoto!" Sakura smiled. Her daughter, Mikoto, had turned two years old just a month prior. Her husband, Corrin, came running into the room.
"What's all the yelling about?" Corrin asked, slightly paranoid but trying to stay in a good mood.
"Mikoto, why don't you show daddy?" Sakura asked.
"Of course! Daddy, look!" Mikoto smiled again and showed Corrin her loose tooth.
"Wow! Is that a loose tooth? You know, the tooth dragon might come if you leave it under your pillow!" Corrin loosened up a bit, patting his daughter on the shoulder.
"Papa?!" Someone yelled.
"Yes, Kana?" Corrin replied.
"Something funny's going on! Can you come up here?" Kana called back.
"Sakura, could you please go check on Kana?" Corrin asked. "I'm not sure I know how to handle… 'girl' problems."
"Sure," Sakura replied. She giggled a bit at her husband's immaturity. She went over to her older daughter's room.
"Daddy?" Mikoto asked shyly.
"Yes?" Corrin asked.
"Why do I never see big sister?" The question shocked Corrin.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Corrin replied.
"Well, she's always in her room or out with Asugi. Why doesn't she make time for me?" Mikoto's voice began to shake a bit.
"She's just growing up," Corrin stated. "She likes to distance herself. It's all part of being that age."
"Daddy… what's 'distance' mean?" Mikoto asked shyly.
"Haha, don't worry about it. I'll explain when you're older, okay?" Corrin replied.
"Urgh…" Mikoto began to shake. Her face became a bright red, as beads of sweat formed at her temples.
"Darling? Are you okay?" Corrin asked cautiously.
"Agh! Why doesn't big sister care?" Mikoto exploded. The air around her turned red, while she fell onto the ground, on her knees.
Oh, no… Corrin thought.
"Sakura! Kana!" Corrin shouted.
"What's going on?" Sakura replied.
"Go find Shigure or Azura. Now!" Corrin yelled.
"But-"
"Sakura, please!" Corrin cut his wife off.
"Okay. Got it!" Corrin heard Sakura and Kana opening and closing the door.
I better dig in for the long run…
"What's papa doing? Is something wrong?" Kana asked her mother.
"I… I don't know, dearest," Sakura replied. "We should listen to your father. Let's go find Azura or Shigure."
"... Yes, mama." Kana reached for the blade at her side, feeling safer with its presence. She had the legendary Omega Yato with her, as her father had allowed her to practice with it earlier. Kana had forgotten to give it back.
"Come, let's head down to the river," Sakura stated. "Azura and Shigure like to hang around there."
"Right!" Kana ran ahead of her mother, almost daring her to keep up.
"Well, aren't you flighty?" Sakura did her best to keep up with her daughter, but her clothes just wouldn't allow it. They ran all the way to the river.
"Whoa! Geez, Kana, you'll have to slow down next time!" Sakura said. Kana laughed.
"I was going easy on you." Kana smirked. Sakura giggled.
"Now, let's find someone, and quick. If you hear anything, follow it," Sakura commanded. Kana nodded.
They walked together, moving slowly up the river. Then they heard a faint sound in the distance.
"You are the ocean's gray waves…" The song echoed into their ears. Sakura nudged Kana.
"Come on!" Kana nodded. They both slowly moved towards the voice.
"Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…" The girls noticed a ripple in the water. They saw the top of someone's head coming out.
"The path is yours to climb…" Shigure rose out of the water. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded in front of him. His pendant glowed beautifully in the air in front of him. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Um… Sh-Shigure?" Sakura yelled.
"Ah!" Shigure jumped. He was startled out of his peaceful state of mind. "Oh, Aunt Sakura. What can I do for you?"
"U-um… I was hoping that… um…" Sakura's anxiety kicked up. It seemed that she wasn't comfortable around anyone but her husband and children.
"Shigure, we need your help!" Kana exclaimed out of nowhere. "Papa said that we need you. We heard some shouting, and think it may be Mikoto." Sakura gave her daughter a thankful glance.
"What? Oh, no… Mother warned me this might happen. Come on, we need to make haste!" Shigure darted away, with Kana and Sakura doing their best to keep up.
Good luck… and please, be fast… Corrin thought to himself. His wife and Kana had just left in search of the help he was seeking. His youngest daughter was hunched over in front of him.
"Agh!" Mikoto's whole body began to glow.
She's only two… at this age? How? Corrin reached for his Yato, finding nothing to be at his belt. Damn! I gave it to Kana! Corrin reached under his shirt and caressed the small stone he kept there. I have no choice…
Corrin gripped the stone tightly. The prince felt his body getting engulfed. Slowly, each of his appendages turned into a scaly surface. Before he knew it, Corrin had taken the form of a dragon.
By the time he was done, Mikoto had completed the same process. His two-year-old daughter was standing before him as a mini dragon.
"RAUGH!" Mikoto shouted at her father. She lunged at him in full force. Corrin took the blow quite well. He took his tendril-like limbs and pinned his daughter down.
I'm sorry, Mikoto. I wish there was another way, Corrin thought to himself. He was unable to tell her so.
"Don't move!" Someone shouted. Corrin and Mikoto both addressed their attention to the door, where none other than Takumi was standing. He held the Fujin Yumi in his hand. "Just who are you?"
T-Takumi… Corrin wished he could explain what was going on. His current form just didn't allow it.
"Agh! Which one of you is Corrin? Speak now!" Corrin let out a small roar. "Why is this happening?"
I can't do this… I'm sorry, Mikoto. Please don't hurt me. Corrin let his form revert. Almost as fast as he had transformed, he returned to his human form.
"Corrin! Who is this?" Takumi asked, aiming the legendary bow at the other dragon. Mikoto tackled Corrin.
"T-Takumi! Don't shoot her! It's… Mikoto…" Corrin struggled for air as his daughter's reptilian form crushed him.
"But Corrin! She'll kill you…" Takumi kept the bow nocked and aimed.
"If she does, then fine… I still love her…" The Yato-wielder closed his eyes. He was ready to accept his fate.
"RARGH!" Mikoto grunted. Corrin felt the crushing weight of his daughter lift away. He saw her form a few feet away from him. To his right was a scorch mark in the wall.
"Stay off of my brother…" Takumi said. "Or next time, I won't miss."
"Takumi!" Corrin shouted.
"I'm sorry, Corrin, but Hoshido, Nohr, and Valla all need you. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made." Takumi wiped sweat from his brow. "You know I don't want to do this…"
Mikoto leapt up and bowled Takumi over. She lay on him, pushing her tendrils against either of his shoulders.
"Agh! Corrin… you need to… Argh!" The Fujin Yumi flew from his grip. Corrin gripped his Dragonstone.
Takumi… Mikoto… I can't… Corrin focused on the stone in his hand. He felt his power slowly start to ebb into the beast.
"You are the ocean's gray waves…" A beautiful melody stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Behind Mikoto and Takumi, Shigure stood with his pendant floating. "Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach…"
"GRAAH!" Mikoto jumped off of Takumi and shifted her attention to Shigure. She held him between her tendrils.
"Yet, the waters ever change, flowing like time…" The floating pendant in front of Shigure shone brighter with every word. "The path is…" Mikoto lifted Shigure above her. "Yours to climb…"
"Grrr…" Mikoto aimed her head at Shigure, preparing for a bone-crushing headbutt.
"Kill me if you want…" Shigure solemnly uttered, "but do it as yourself."
"Grr… Rrrr… RARGH!" Mikoto dropped Shigure onto the ground. She began to shake. The dragon began to glow. She slowly shrank, until she lie unconscious, a small two-year-old girl.
"MIKOTO!" Corrin ran over to his daughter. "Mikoto, no!"
"M-Mikoto!" Sakura came bounding to her child's limp form. "N-no…"
"Mama, Papa, you two aren't very bright…" Kana said out of the blue.
"What? How… How could you insult us at a time like this?" Corrin replied. His eyes began to well with tears.
"Look at her chest," Kana pointed. "It's moving steadily up and down."
"Y-you're right!" Sakura muttered. "She's alive!"
"Did you really think she would die?" Shigure asked. "I'm ashamed you don't have more faith in me."
"Shigure, we-"
"Oh, save it, Corrin. I'm only joking." A smile lit up Shigure's face. He pulled a small stone from his pocket. "Here. Give this to Mikoto when she wakes up. It'll be okay."
"Shigure…" Kana bounded to the man and enveloped him in a large hug.
"Um, Shigure… If I may ask…" Corrin began.
"Yes? What is it?" Shigure turned his attention to the man, much to his daughter's dismay.
"Why do both you and Azura happen to always have dragonstones handy?" Corrin asked.
"Your mother, the late Queen Mikoto, knew of the ancient blood in your veins. She asked mother to always keep a dragonstone handy in case she met you and you were out of control. They're surprisingly easy to come by in Hoshido."
"Right… well, thank you, Shigure." Corrin warmly grinned. "How can we pay you back?"
"Pay me back? I hadn't thought of that… tell you what," Shigure started. "My father's organizing yet another art show for me. Why don't you come by, and we'll call it even?"
"But we couldn't even begin to repay you for th-" Corrin began.
"Don't mention it," Shigure cut him off. The blue-haired man shook Kana off of him and walked away.
"Well, that takes care of THAT," Takumi stated.
"Oh! T-Takumi!" Sakura turned towards her brother. "I didn't know you were going to visit us today…"
"Well, I did. I clearly chose the wrong day, didn't I?" Takumi chuckled a bit. Corrin and Sakura just stared at him.
"Uncle Takumi!" Kana jumped into the man's arms.
"Agh!" Takumi faltered. "Kana, you're getting too big for this…"
Everyone breathed easy. Corrin brought Mikoto to her bed. Sakura, Takumi, and Kana socialized. The family relaxed, now that the problem was solved. Corrin and Sakura knew they were going to have a fun life ahead of them.
~FIN~
