Voices stirred Takumi from the depths of sleep. He moaned softly and rolled over, longing to return to the peaceful darkness. For once, his dreams were free from nightmares, and his body craved more rest. He didn't know why he felt so tired, but his fuzzy mind didn't care. He felt like something was pulling him to the bottom of a deep, dark lake, and he had no energy or will to fight it. The spell broke when the cold water suddenly became real.

Now upright, wide awake, and dripping wet, Takumi sputtered and gasped for breath as the laughter of two mischievous boys rang around him. A few things immediately became apparent. First, he was in Robin's body again. Second, her son had apparently recruited a partner in crime. The second boy was unfamiliar, but Takumi saw that he wore a Hoshidan archer uniform and became alarmed. Who was this kid, and why would he wear that outfit in a land so far from Hoshido?

First things first, though: he had to teach these two troublemakers a lesson. He grinned mischievously and tackled Morgan's companion to the ground. Before long, all three of them became entangled in a play wrestling match. Lots of rolling, tickling, and shouting ensued, and eventually they ended up piled on top of each other, completely out of breath.

"That. Was. So. Much. Fun!" exclaimed the young archer, Kiragi. During their tussle, Takumi learned the boy's name and that he was Morgan's older brother. Kiragi was a distinctly Hoshidan name, and that along with his clothes suggested that his father was Hoshidan. So the future Robin somehow made it to Hoshido after all. He made a mental note to question Kiragi on the matter later, but at the moment, he was too winded for the task. He wondered where these boys got all their energy from. Still, he agreed with Kiragi―he couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun, even though he got stuck on the bottom. It left a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.

Morgan giggled, prompting Takumi to ask what was so funny. "It's nothing. I'm just really happy. I don't remember ever doing anything like this, but it still feels nostalgic somehow."

"We used to play together like this all the time," explained Kiragi. "But Dad was usually the one who joined in. Mom just liked to watch."

"You dumped water on my head!" Takumi retorted, though his tone lacked its usual bite. "You think I was just gonna let you get away with that?"

"Um…"

"I'm sorry, Mother!" said Morgan. "It was too easy! It's not like you to sleep so late."

"Hey, even I get tired sometimes," Takumi admitted.

"Just don't push yourself too hard, Mother. I worry about you sometimes."

I don't blame you, thought Takumi. The current state of Robin's body told him that she had not slept well since their last switch. Even now, Takumi longed to go back to bed. He was beginning to suspect that this was the reason why they hadn't switched in so long. It brought forth the question of why Robin would neglect her sleep, and he was determined to find the answer.

I guess I should find Chrom or Lucina and see what I've missed.

After the boys left, Takumi dried his damp hair with a towel and tied it up. Then he straightened out Robin's things, which got thrown about earlier. He was just about to leave when the tent flap opened again. An unfamiliar woman stood there, clutching a dark tome to her chest. Her sharp gaze pierced right through Takumi, and everything about her set his nerves on edge.

"Good morning, Robin," she crooned. "Did you have a restful night?"

"Um…" Takumi paused, feeling unnerved as she stepped closer to him. "I guess?"

The woman frowned. "What's this? Something's different about you today."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Takumi stammered. "Nothing's wrong!"

"You're avoiding eye contact. Robin never averts her gaze." Her expression somehow darkened even more. "What have you done with her?"

"I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed. "I don't even know how this happened!"

"Where is Robin?" the woman pressed, dark magic crackling around her delicate fingers.

Takumi flinched. "Hey, cut that out! If you hurt me, you'll just be hurting Robin!"

"Who said anything about hurting my dear Robin?" A deadly smirk grew on her face. "There are countless methods of torture I can use that don't involve physical pain. I wouldn't dare harm a single hair on Robin's head. You, on the other hand, will not be so lucky if I decide to turn your brain into slime."

"Okay, okay, you win!" Takumi exclaimed. "Robin's in a country very, very far away from here."

"Where?"

"My homeland. Hoshido." It wasn't exactly true, but he couldn't risk invoking Valla's curse.

"Interesting. I've never heard of such a place."

"Well, I had never heard of Ylisse or Valm before this whole body-swapping mess started. I can understand if you're skeptical."

"Body-swapping?" The woman put a finger to her chin. "Strange. I can't detect any dark magic in the vicinity. Ah! This must be what Robin was being so coy about the other night."

"I swear I had nothing to do with this," said Takumi. "And as far as I know, Robin's safe. We should switch back when we wake up tomorrow if everything goes as it did before."

"Hmm…" The woman crossed her arms. "That explains Robin's behavior over the past week or so. She hasn't slept much, you see, and now I understand why. Sleep must be what triggers the switching."

"That's pretty much the only thing we do know. I have a dark mage on my end trying to figure out this whole mystery as well. Even he can't pinpoint exactly what's causing these switches."

"Clearly it doesn't happen every night, either," said the woman. "That reminds me, Robin requested a dream-blocking hex the other night when I insisted she get some sleep. I didn't have enough components to cast it again last night, and then this happened. Perhaps it's not sleep itself, but specifically dreaming that triggers a switch."

Takumi stared at her, dumbfounded. It was a simple conclusion, but one he and Prince Leo hadn't considered. If they could prevent dreaming, they could prevent the switching too, at least in theory. It would have to do until they figured out the root cause of the switches, and Takumi was willing to try anything to prevent any more embarrassing blunders while he and Robin inhabited each other's bodies.

"Say, um…"

"It's Tharja," the woman said curtly.

Oh. So this is Tharja. Now I see why Robin wanted me to watch out for her. Like it or not, though, I need her help now.

"Tharja, you wouldn't mind gathering materials to cast that dream-blocking hex again, would you?" he asked.

"You're in no position to make demands," Tharja growled. "And to be frank, it's going to be difficult to gather the components I need. You may not be aware of this, but Walhart the Conqueror is retreating to Valm's capital because we defeated Yen'fay, and Robin says it's imperative we attack as soon as possible. That means my hobbies will unfortunately have to go on hold."

"Oh," Takumi said, his voice small. "I guess I missed a lot."

"That's not my problem." Tharja turned to leave but gave him one last glare. "I suggest you catch up quickly. If Robin winds up hurt because of you, I'll make you wish you were dead."

He swallowed hard and managed a nod. Once Tharja exited the tent, he breathed a heavy sigh. "Gods, every time I turn around someone else is out for my blood… You sure as hell better appreciate this, Robin."

The next order of business was to ask Chrom about what had happened since the last switch. Luckily, he wasn't hard to find. Kiragi had crushed the poor man in a hug and Lucina had to practically peel the boy off her father. Unfortunately for her, she became the next target of Kiragi's affection.

"Kiragi!" Takumi scolded. "You can't just run around hugging people without their consent!"

"But Mom, it's been so long since I last saw Uncle Chrom and Luci!" Kiragi protested.

"Un-uncle?!" Chrom sputtered.

"That doesn't make it okay," said Takumi. "I still don't get how all this time travel stuff works, but I do understand that you and Morgan came from a different timeline than the others. Chrom and Lucina don't know you here. Would you like it if a complete stranger hugged you out of the blue?"

Kiragi thought for a moment. "Well, sure. It would show they're friendly!"

Takumi groaned and buried his face in his palm. "My future self obviously didn't teach you about stranger danger. But anyway, the point is that not everyone is like you. You should at least ask for permission before you hug someone who doesn't know you very well."

"Oh, okay," Kiragi said, reluctantly releasing his grip on Lucina. "Sorry, Luci. Sorry, Uncle Chrom."

"I'm fine with it as long as you understand," said Lucina. "But what's with this 'Uncle Chrom' business?"

"Well," Kiragi began. "Mom was really close with your family when I was growing up, so they became just like family to me, too."

"I suppose that makes sense," Lucina said with a nod.

"We'll be having a long talk about this later, Kiragi," Takumi warned, crossing his arms. "But for now, I need to speak with Chrom and Lucina. Privately."

"Okay, if you say so, Mom," Kiragi said nervously. He performed a quick apologetic bow before scurrying off.

"Wow," Lucina said once Kiragi was out of earshot. "You handled that remarkably well, Takumi."

"Well, someone has to be a responsible parent around here," Takumi huffed, eying Chrom knowingly. "Clearly Robin has no idea what she's doing since you figured out we switched again so quickly."

"Robin actually adjusted pretty quickly. After all, she's used to dealing with… childish behavior," Lucina explained with a grimace. "Your tone is what gave you away. You sounded far more serious than Robin would have."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," said Takumi. "Anyway, what happened? Why is Robin so exhausted? Tharja said she hasn't slept much recently."

"Wait, really?" asked Chrom. "I knew she'd been pushing herself again, but I didn't realize it was that bad!"

"Explain," demanded Takumi.

"We've been on the move ever since we took Fort Steiger about a week ago," said Lucina. "The Resistance turned on us and forced us to flee for our lives, as we were no match for both Walhart and Yen'fay's armies. To turn the odds in our favor, Robin had a small group distract Walhart while the strongest of us faced Yen'fay. She opted to make a volcano our battleground to discourage the turncloaks from following us. We finally defeated Yen'fay yesterday, but we also found out Walhart killed Basilio."

Takumi bowed his head. "My condolences. I've never met Basilio, but from what I've heard about him, it sounds like you lost a great man."

"The worst part is that I knew this would happen," Lucina said sadly. "Basilio perished the same way in my world. I tried to stop him from going, but he was having none of it."

"I see. If that's the case, we should ensure his death isn't in vain. What's the plan now?"

"Walhart's currently in retreat," said Chrom. "We'll confront him at Valm's capital and put a stop to him for good."

"Tharja said more or less the same thing," Takumi mused. "Still, that doesn't explain why Robin refused to sleep altogether for this long. I don't like randomly waking up in her body, but that isn't worth compromising her health."

"I've lost track of how many times I've told her that," Chrom sighed. "Robin is horribly stubborn. Time and time again she throws herself into her work with little regard for her own well-being. She always insists she's fine, but I worry about her. I wish she didn't always try to shoulder so much by herself."

That sounded more familiar than Takumi cared to admit. His siblings, especially Hinoka, had scolded him on more than one occasion for training too hard or taking on too many enemies at once. Still, it wasn't the same. The Shepherds depended on Robin; without her, they stood no chance. Meanwhile he had to struggle just to keep up with Ryoma and Hinoka. He had to keep improving, or else he'd be of no use to anyone.

He gave a start when he realized that Robin must have gone out of her way to prevent the switching because he wasn't good enough to take her place. The plan she came up with was complex, and she had decided to risk her own well-being rather than drop everything on him.

Takumi clenched his fists. Once again, he was holding people back because he was too weak. He had to get better, or else Robin could end up sick or worse. He couldn't let this happen again.

"Prince Chrom!" The swordmaster Say'ri ran up to them. "Will we be marching soon?"

"As soon as everyone is packed and ready," Chrom replied.

"I would like to request a slight detour," said Say'ri. "I received word from one of our messengers that the Voice recently headed to Naga's Cradle to regain her power. I would like to ensure no harm has befallen her. We'll pass by there on our way to the capital, so we wouldn't have to go far out of our way, either."

"I see no problems with that," said Chrom. "What do you think, Robin?"

Takumi considered what to do. It sounded like they needed to reach Walhart as soon as possible, but on the other hand, Lady Tiki was an important icon to the people of Valm. The people's spirits would plummet if she were harmed or captured. With a nod, Takumi made up his mind.

"If it's on our way to the capital, then it shouldn't delay us for too long," he reasoned.

"It's settled then," said Chrom. "We'll make for Naga's Cradle first."

Once the day's march began, Takumi found himself impressed by the army's pace. So the Shepherds could get things done if they put their minds to it. Unfortunately, Robin's weary body wasn't up to the task. Takumi concealed his exhaustion as best he could, but Chrom saw right through him and insisted that he ride with Sumia. "Gods, you're just as headstrong as Robin," the Ylissean prince chided.

Takumi sulked atop Sumia's pegasus, embarrassed that his weakness had been exposed. Deep down, he appreciated the break, but his shame overpowered everything else. It also didn't help that Sumia was as chatty as she was clumsy. He half-listened to her as she babbled on and on about some silly novel and responded with an occasional one-word affirmation. She strongly reminded him of Felicia, and he didn't have the energy or patience for those antics right now.

After what felt like an eternity, Say'ri announced they had arrived at Naga's Cradle. Takumi snapped to attention and found himself in awe at their surroundings. The land was lush and green, and the scent of wildflowers filled the air. There was also some sort of shrine, presumably dedicated to the Divine Dragon of this land. It all reminded him of Hoshido, and he felt a sudden pang of homesickness. With some effort, he suppressed the feeling and hurried to join Chrom, Lucina, and Say'ri at the front of the army.

A short distance away, a woman sat within a grove of trees and flowers located in front of the Divine Dragon shrine. Her pale green hair and pointed ears stood out to Takumi. This had to be Lady Tiki. Her eyes were closed and her expression was calm, and she remained motionless except for her breathing. Lucina attempted to speak with her but got no response. Say'ri asked the princess to be silent, as Lady Tiki was performing a rite to draw the Divine Dragon's power into herself.

Some rite this is, Takumi thought. She looks like she's fast asleep! I wouldn't have expected a Divine Dragon's oracle to be so… carefree.

Just then, his sharp eyes caught silhouettes approaching from the south. As they got closer, he recognized the shapes of pegasus and wyvern riders.

"Chrom! Lucina! Say'ri! We've got company!" he shouted.

Chrom quickly spotted the invaders and scowled. "Gods, there are so many of them! Shepherds, to arms!"

"The Voice is defenseless in her current state," Say'ri warned. "We must do all in our power to shield her until the rite is complete. Robin, we await your orders!"

Takumi swallowed hard and nodded. The fear of failure once again weighed him down and set his heart racing. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. This was his chance to prove himself. He had to show Robin what he was capable of.

"They're all riding flying mounts," he began. "We'll need every archer in our ranks."

Virion, Kiragi, and Noire all stepped forward. It was a lower number than Takumi liked, but they would have to do.

"Miriel, Morgan, Ricken. Your Wind tomes are perfect for knocking those mounts out of the sky." The three mages nodded, and Takumi continued. "We'll send our own fliers to intercept the enemy before they cross the valley. That should slow them down enough for the archers and mages to shoot them down. Libra, Maribelle, I want you two to keep our front fighters going with your staves. The rest of you are in charge of protecting Lady Tiki from anyone who slips through. Does everyone understand their roles?"

The army responded with a unanimous "yes".

"Then let's get out there and show 'em who's boss!"

Everyone scattered and rushed to their positions just as the first enemy soldiers crossed the valley. From this distance, Takumi was able to identify them as Risen. They seemed hell-bent on getting to Lady Tiki no matter what, and in fact tried all they could to get around the Shepherds instead on engaging them directly. The archers, mages, and fliers had their hands full trying to stop them and many reached the main army. Fortunately, the ground troops were able to slay each Risen before they could attack Lady Tiki.

Despite the severity of the situation, Robin's future children remained in good spirits. In fact, it sounded like they were having a competition to see who could shoot down more Risen. Takumi had half a mind to scold them for being so lighthearted about such a serious matter, but he couldn't leave his current position. Besides, their game was only helping the army, and Takumi was just as guilty of trying to show his skills off to his siblings while in the thick of battle.

The Risen kept on coming. Lady Tiki remained unharmed, but everyone else was tiring from the seemingly endless waves of enemies. Takumi gritted his teeth as he cut down what felt like his hundredth wyvern. If the situation didn't improve soon, they'd all collapse from exhaustion.

A pain-filled cry rang above the din of battle and drew Takumi's attention. Kiragi had fallen, likely injured by the falcon knight that was now charging towards the main army. Worry surged through Takumi, and without a second thought he rushed to the young archer's side.

"Kiragi! Are you alright?!" he exclaimed.

Kiragi managed a grin even as he clutched the wound on his side. Despite his efforts to staunch it, blood rapidly stained his shirt. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse."

"You're in no shape to continue fighting," Takumi chided, shaking his head. "We need to get you patched up. I'll take your place in the meantime."

"What?! But―"

"Maribelle! We need your help over here!" yelled Takumi. While the troubadour galloped to Kiragi's aid, Takumi took the boy's bow and quiver. He decided that ensuring the army got through this alive was more important than keeping his identity secret. As the next Risen flew toward him, he took aim and let his arrow loose. The dark pegasus screamed as the arrow pierced its heart. It then plummeted into the valley, taking its rider with it. Every enemy wyvern, falicorn, or griffon that entered Takumi's sights met the same fate.

He soon felt his arms and fingers ache from performing motions Robin's body was unaccustomed to. Sweat poured down his forehead and his breathing was labored, but still he pressed on. The reinforcements were finally thinning, and Maribelle was nearly finished healing Kiragi. Takumi squinted to refocus his blurring vision and prepared another arrow as yet another wyvern approached. He had to hold on for just a little longer.

The wyvern roared, and Takumi released the bowstring. He winced as a sharp sting filled his fingertips, but the arrow hit its mark and the mount crashed to the ground below. Alarmed, Takumi examined his hand. Just as he suspected, his fingers were bleeding.

"By the gods, Robin!" Maribelle screeched as she grabbed Takumi's hand. "I care not if you're a lowborn; it's highly inappropriate for a lady to tear her own hands apart! And when in the world did you learn how to use a bow?!"

"That was amazing, Mom!" exclaimed Kiragi. "But… is your hand okay? It looks really bad."

"I'll be fine," Takumi croaked. Maribelle was already taking care of his injury, but he could no longer stave off his exhaustion. His arms felt like wet noodles and just standing was a chore. He cursed his weakness. He was of no use to anyone like this.

"Ah! Lady Tiki!" Say'ri's sudden shout drew Takumi's attention. The Voice's green eyes had opened at last, and she was quietly observing her would-be attackers. "Are you unharmed, milady?"

"Yes, thanks to all of you," said Lady Tiki. Despite her youthful appearance, wisdom and strength filled her voice. "I apologize for the delay, but the rite has borne fruit. I've absorbed some of the Divine Dragon's power. And from the looks of things, we need it right now."

"Are you sure about this, milady?" asked Say'ri.

"Yes. The Shepherds have protected me twice now. It is time for me to return the favor." Lady Tiki clutched a small blue stone in her hand and closed her eyes. Light enveloped her form, and in her place stood a fearsome white dragon. She took to the skies and engulfed the remaining Risen with her fire breath. Takumi watched her in awe. So Lady Tiki could change into a dragon like Nowi, Nah, and Corrin, but she was far stronger than all of them. In no time, the Risen and their mounts were reduced to charred corpses.

With the enemies taken care of, Lady Tiki landed and reverted to her human form. She stated that she would join the Shepherds for the remainder of their journey, saying that she was tired of solitude and wished to use her power to help save the world. The army then set up camp for the night so they could treat the wounded and get some much-needed rest.

Morgan and Kiragi helped Takumi get back to Robin's tent. Both were quite upset about his recklessness, and he was too tired to argue with them. He still had to write Robin a report, too, and he wanted to finish it as quickly as possible so he could get some sleep. As soon as the boys left him alone, he grabbed a pen and paper and began to write. His fingers ached and his eyelids kept sliding shut, but keeping good communication with Robin was imperative. He had to tell her to take better care of herself so they wouldn't have this problem again.

Outside, Kiragi let go of the tent flap and exchanged a worried glance with his brother.

"Do you think Mother's all right?" asked Morgan. "She's been acting weird all day."

Kiragi bit his lip. Weird was one way to put it. Up until today, his mother acted exactly as he remembered her. Now, however, she was definitely not herself. Everything she did and said was so unlike her, but still hauntingly familiar. Her crossed arms, her serious tone, and especially her miraculous talent with the bow were all hallmarks of someone else he knew very well.

"I'm not sure," he said at last. "I don't think she's in any danger, but I wish I knew what was going on."

"This has happened before, actually," said Morgan. "When Mother first found me, she acted just like today, but the day after that, she was back to normal."

"Really? Weird. I'm guessing she didn't say anything about it either, huh?"

Morgan shook his head. "Nope. She just brushed off my questions and told me not to worry about it.'"

"I wonder if that letter she's writing has any clues," Kiragi hummed.

"Wait, are you saying we should sneak in and read it?!" exclaimed Morgan.

"Ssh, not so loud!" Kiragi hissed. "But yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"What's this? Two young boys up to no good?"

The pair jumped and paled when they saw the unexpected intruder.

"L-L-Lady Tiki!" Morgan squeaked. "W-were you listening the whole time?"

"I just happened to be passing by," said Tiki. "That said, I too, am curious about Robin. Humans are volatile creatures, but even they typically do not change personality in the span of a few days."

"Right! That's why we gotta find out what's going on!" chirped Kiragi.

"My, aren't you an energetic one? It reminds me of my younger days," Tiki giggled. "Very well. I won't tell anyone about your mischief, but in exchange, you'll have to tell me anything you find out about Robin. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the boys declared.

That night, Kiragi and Morgan snuck through the camp and slipped soundlessly into Robin's tent. Thankfully, their mother was out like a light and snoring softly. The two boys split up and searched opposite sides of the tent for the letter. They flipped through Robin's books and rummaged through her coat, pausing every few seconds to check if she was still asleep.

"Psst! Kiragi! I think I found it!" Morgan whispered. Kiragi tiptoed over to his brother, who held a neatly folded piece of paper in his hands. "It was in Mother's favorite strategy book," Morgan explained.

Kiragi took the paper and unfolded it so that both of them could read it. "Huh? This letter is addressed to Mom! That doesn't make any sense!"

"Maybe it's the wrong one?" Morgan suggested.

"No, this has to be what she was writing earlier," said Kiragi. "Stuff that happened today is in here. But… there's some weird stuff, too. It says, 'Don't speak of the land in your dreams.' What's that supposed to mean? And why would Mom write a letter to herself?"

"Kiragi, look!" whispered Morgan. "The letter's signed 'Tah-koo-mee'!"

"Wh-what?!" Kiragi glanced at the bottom of the letter and his heart stopped when he read the signature. "D-Dad?!"

Robin moaned and began to stir, and panic surged through the two boys. Kiragi hurriedly refolded the letter and stuffed it back in the strategy book's front cover before he and Morgan fled for their lives. They only stopped running once they made it safely back inside Kiragi's tent.

"That was too close," Morgan managed to say between breaths.

"Yeah," Kiragi agreed. "But at least we found what we were looking for."

"Why did you yell 'Dad' back there?" asked Morgan. "Did Father have something to do with 'Tah-koo-mee'?"

"Morgan…" Kiragi took a deep breath and sighed. "Takumi is Dad."

"What?! Really?!" Morgan yelped. "Now I'm even more confused! It's weird enough that Mother wrote herself a letter, but why would she use someone else's name? And you told me Father isn't even in the Shepherds!"

"Maybe… it wasn't a letter to herself at all."

"Huh?"

"I'm not positive, but based on Mom's behavior today and that letter, I'm willing to bet that's actually Dad using Mom's body."

Morgan gaped at his brother. "Wh-what?! But how?!"

"I dunno, but it's the only explanation that makes sense," said Kiragi.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Morgan.

"Well, we did promise to tell Lady Tiki if we found anything," Kiragi recalled. "But I'm guessing Mom and Dad don't want too many people finding out if they're going through so much trouble to keep this secret. So aside from Lady Tiki, let's not tell anyone."

"That sounds fair. But wow, this is a lot to take in."

"Yeah…"

"Kiragi? Are you okay?"

Kiragi sniffled and brushed away the tears he could no longer hold back. "I'm fine. I'm just… I'm so happy Dad's okay."

"I'm sorry," Morgan mumbled as he bowed his head. "I still don't remember anything about Father."

"Don't worry about it, Little Bro," said Kiragi. "It'll come back to you eventually. Say, if you want, I'd be happy to tell you all about him. It might even spark a memory or two!"

"You really think so?" asked Morgan.

"Sure! No harm in trying, right?" Kiragi chirped. "Now then, where do I begin?"

"Can you tell me more stories from when we were young?"

"Sounds good to me! Let's see… It all started when you found a roach under your bed…"


Thank you all so much for all the support! I appreciate your patience as well. Chapter 10 was not as long as this chapter, but I've been playing quite a bit of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so it was still delayed. Also, Summer Takumi recently hit FEH and I am in love. The timing is really fitting because I got to write Takumi's playful side a bit in this chapter. I'll keep trying to find time to write to meet my one chapter a month goal, but it isn't always easy. I get stuck a lot. But it's been incredibly rewarding having this fic slowly unfold. I'll keep riding this wave of inspiration as long as I can!