AN: Here we go, a little fiction I wrote up using the world of Fire Emblem Fates. Contains spoilers for all routes in the game.
Uses my own interpretation of the female Avatar (here named the default, Corrin) in terms of personality, making true the in-game description of her being "well-liked". This will be the standard in all future Fates stories I might write.
Hope you enjoy! -Shurpuff
There was a solemn, tense tranquility inside the meeting room. Mikoto had spent almost its entirety in silence, soaking up the arguments, doing her best to gauge the mood of each councillor as a fisherman does the tides.
Sumeragi watched, hawk-like, from his end of the table. Mikoto could sense her husband's anger brewing beneath the surface, held masterfully in check. The other councillors, each heads of Hoshido's vassal clans were arranged around the table. Each spouted anger freely, as of wine from a leaking barrel.
Arguments flew like arrows. The matter of friction across the border with Nohr was a point of severe contention; several arguments had already boiled away before again coalescing into irritating steam. There was also the old matter of constant banditry in the countryside, or the lack of tithes from this or that demesne.
She knew her husband to be irritated by the council's disunity. Part of the tasks of Hoshido's king was managing its headstrong vassals. It had caused him many a headache, as he'd himself admitted, but by the blessing of the Dawn Dragon he'd always found a way.
Sensing a lull in the conversation, Mikoto turned her head subtly to signal to a servant. The servant pressed his forehead to the floor, before turning to rise. Before he could leave, however, he was suddenly bowled over by a blurred shape. The servant yelped, causing near everyone in the room to rise to their feet with drawn swords.
"Papa! Mama!"
"Hinoka?" Mikoto nearly stumbled as the shape crushed against her. The little princess wailed. Mikoto could feel the child's warm tears against the fabric of her dress. "What's wrong?"
Then, a servant came running in, breathless, shouting, "Lord Sumeragi! Something's happened!" He fell, clutching the sliding door. "Dragon! Princess Corrin!"
Ice filled her heart as Mikoto shared a quick, frightened glance with her husband. Sumeragi wasted no time in bounding forward, vaulting over one of his vassals in a blatant show of disrespect as he went out into the corridor. Mikoto gathered up Hinoka and carried her personally as she followed.
It could not be. It shouldn't be happening—and so early, so soon! Mikoto had had her fears, had locked them away in a treasure box deep in the memories of her previous life. She'd never expected these to come true, not for a long time! Unbidden tears came to her, sorrow for her husband, who would surely be hurt were she to leave, for his children, who had only just gotten used to her presence; and for Corrin, most of all, for the burden she'd laid on the poor girl.
She could hear people shouting, a few of the palace servants screaming. She saw one of Lord Sumeragi's retainers, whose name she couldn't recall off-hand. But someone personally hand-picked by her husband would be one to trust.
"Please guard Princess Hinoka," she said hurriedly, handing the sobbing princess to the woman. The latter's eyes widened.
"I—" a moment's hesitation faded as duty steeled the woman. "Of course, milady. I shall protect her with my life."
Mikoto ran, bundling up the folds of her dress up to free her legs. The commotion seemed to be centered on the courtyard, from where terrified-looking attendants were fleeing.
"Dragon!" some of them shouted. "Demon!" said others. Each one felt like stakes driving into her heart. She pressed on, finally seeing Sumeragi's back.
There she felt it. A strong presence, like a sea breeze, wafting over the hall. When she finally reached her husband's side, she was not prepared for what she saw.
A group of samurai were all gathered loosely around the center of the courtyard. Their weapons were drawn. She spotted Corrin quickly, and there was an instant of relief when she saw that she still looked like the child she'd left to play with her step-siblings. But the next instant she saw exactly what the child was hugging, and gasped.
It was a small creature. At first glance, it seemed like one of the baby pegasi: white in color, with small wings. But the creature moved, and it seemed more serpentine in shape, its wings more wyvern-like.
"What's going on?" she said. "What is that?"
"A dragon," Sumeragi said in a growling murmur. Despite his grim demeanor, Mikoto could sense his fear. Corrin seemed to be in grave danger.
Mikoto became aware of a child crying. Her heart got a jolt when she spied little Sakura crying near some bushes at the corner of the yard. She ran to the child, carrying her into her arms just as she'd done her sister.
"Sakura," Sumeragi said, when Mikoto came back. He glanced back at the center. "If Corrin is there... Where is Takumi?"
"Perhaps one of the servants have him..." said Mikoto, who'd given Sakura to be spirited away to safety. She watched with growing trepidation as her daughter giggled, tugging on the dragon's "tail".
"We mustn't waste time," said Sumeragi. He raised his hand. "Soldiers! Secure the princess!"
"Wait!" cried Mikoto, belaying the samurai. "Husband, allow me..."
"It's too dangerous, Mikoto," said Sumeragi. "We don't know what that thing could do."
"I know," she said, already taking a step forward. "But something tells me... that there's nothing to worry about..."
"Another of your gut feelings?" Sumeragi asked. Though he smiled, his face still looked strained and worried. There'd been many times where Mikoto had bid her husband to this or that decision because of a "feeling", and each time she'd been right.
"Trust me," she whispered.
"Very well. Soldiers, stand your ground, and remain vigilant!"
Slowly, she approached her daughter. She also kept her eyes on the dragon. It seemed to be squirming, as if uncomfortable with the grasp Corrin had on its tail. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have claws, or teeth.
"Corrin," she began.
Her daugher's eyes went to hers and lit up. She smiled, several teeth missing. "Mama! 'Kumi wawer. 'Kumi play."
"Come here, my love," she said, crouching down, her arms open and welcoming.
Corrin pouted. "No! 'Kumi play!" She gave a huge tug with her chubby hands, causing the dragon to bark. Mikoto flinched from the sound. It was as of a pig whining in its pen.
"Playtime's over, Corrin," she said, nervously eyeing the dragon. "It's time for tea. You like tea, right?"
Corrin's smile returned. "Waaaaii! Snakf! 'Kumi, come!" Her daughter stood—the dragon's tail still in her grasp. She began to waddle toward her, dragging the dragon by its tail behind her.
"No, Corrin, let go of it."
"No! 'Kumi come!" Corrin cried, stamping her feet.
"Now, Corrin, please don't be—" Something finally tugged at Mikoto's thoughts. 'Kumi? That was how Corrin pronounced her brother's name, Takumi. Her eyes went to the little dragon. It couldn't be—how could it be, in any case?
She felt the samurai near her tense, perhaps bracing for a chance to snatch the princess from away from the dragon.
"Corrin," Mikoto said, slowly. "Where is your brother Takumi?"
Without hesitation, Corrin raised her arm, the one holding the dragon's tail. "'Kumi wawer!" Her daughter made what looked to be a snarling face. "Rawur! Wawur!" She giggled, waving the dragon tail about. "'Kumi fun!"
Against her will, Mikoto broke her eyes from her daughter, to glance with horror at her husband. Confused, Sumeragi stepped closer.
"Please stand back, milord," cried the samurai. "It's dangerous!" The King of Hoshido pointedly ignored them, coming to stand beside her.
"Papa!" Corrin cried. "'Kumi fun!"
"What's going on, Mikoto?" Sumeragi asked. "What is she saying?"
"I... I pray it is not so, but it might be..." she gestured helplessly at the squirming dragon, still trapped helplessly in her daughter's grasp. "I think Takumi turned into... that."
Sumeragi's shoulders shook. "Impossible!" he hissed.
"Perhaps it is so, husband," said Mikoto carefully. She stepped forward to scoop her daughter in her arms. Though the dragon was closer now, she still felt no dread from it. She held Corrin's chubby hand up to Sumeragi. "Let go now, dear. Give its—his tail to Papa."
"'Kay," Corrin said bashfully, releasing the tail.
There was a burst of smoke, a moment of heat blasting them. When the smoke cleared, the young prince Takumi stood there where the dragon had been, blinking up at them with bewildered eyes. Then he fell on his buttocks, and uttered a bleating wail.
Sumeragi blew out a long sigh. Their eyes met, and for a moment Mikoto could see a young king: inexperienced, vulnerable. The moment disappeared, even as the samurai carried Takumi away.
"What in all the heavens is going on?" Sumeragi said in a whisper.
Corrin broke their reverie when she blew out a wet snicker. She wriggled a hand free to hold out, grasping, toward her crying sibling in the distance, saying, "'Kumi dun! 'Kumi dun! Again! Again!"
Word quickly spread throughout the palace, and from there, the whole of Hoshido. The Dawn Dragon, reborn through the royal line, through Prince Takumi. By sunset that day the audience hall was packed with citizens, all begging for a chance to see or touch the child, for a hint of blessing.
Unfortunately, Sumeragi could not easily suppress the news. Two of his vassals had followed close by, witnessing the whole incident in the courtyard. It added legitimacy to rumor, turning it into fact.
"That Kiyotaka calls it a miracle," Sumeragi'd told her sourly. "A sure sign that our nation is blessed. He even has the audacity to propose Takumi participate in a grand audience."
"Surely you won't subject Takumi to that?" asked Mikoto, horrified. None of the children deserved to be put on pedestals so early in their life, not with all the responsibilities they needed to face in the future.
"Of course not," Sumeragi said irritably. "Especially if Takumi doesn't turn back into... whatever he was. Let us hope this incident is an isolated one. A repeat would only reinforce the beliefs of people like Kiyotaka."
Mikoto, for her part, was relieved. She didn't know exactly what had happened between Corrin and Takumi, but at least her daughter's secret continued to be safe. Had she herself turned into a dragon...
It was too painful to contemplate.
For the meantime, Mikoto had her daughter sequestered in a separate wing of the palace, away from the other royal siblings. It was a temporary stopgap, partly because Corrin would fuss and demand to be with them, and Mikoto couldn't bear to refuse her daughter anything.
As expected, Corrin whined and stomped her feet, refusing to eat or sleep. Mikoto had to chastise the child, momentarily donning the mask of a disciplinarian, much as she hated it.
She could never get a straight answer from the girl regarding the incident. The most she heard was that Corrin was only playing around with Takumi on that day. Mikoto wasn't sure if the child could deliberately force a transformation, or if it was some fluke from her secret heritage. She hoped it was the latter.
The rumors seemed to be dying down through the week thereafter. In order to appease the people, Sumeragi had to publicly announce his plans to visit the Rainbow Sage, to ascertain the truth to his son's nature. Normal court business was suspended. Preparations were made for a sizable escort for the King's trip to Notre Sagesse.
All seemed to have returned to normal. Mikoto thought that meant whatever strangeness had caused Takumi's transformation was past. Even Sumeragi'd agreed, though he still needed to head to the Sage.
She'd seen no reason to deny her daughter any longer. She was allowed to play with Sakura and Hinoka, this time under a lot more supervision. Takumi'd refused to play, which was understandable.
Seeing the joyous look on her daughter's plump face, Mikoto almost forgot all about the apprehension.
...Until she personally witnessed Hinoka turn into another dragon.
AN: Like, not like? Thanks for reading! -Shurpuff