A/N: Sorry for the long wait but I had a lot of homework and then there was a lot of real life stuff to deal with. This is the longest chapter yet (as well as the longest chapter I have ever written) but ironically wrote it all today. At least this chapter is done with, I spent a good portion of my day on this. There are probably typos galore but I'll edit this chapter sometime later when it's not after one in the morning and I have school tomorrow. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy!
It was... odd. There had been a void, where darkness surrounded him and the cold seemed to fill his very being - and then it was gone. Just as suddenly, it was replaced with brightness and fertility and existence. The world seemed to open up to him, like it had been here this entire time - like he had been here this entire time - and he found it difficult to recall when there was a time that nothing had existed.
There was the sun and he could remember bathing in its warmth, enjoying the calm it brought him. And there was the moon and the stars, shining elegantly and spurring musings of other worlds and other life. The earth beneath him was comfortable and familiar, it was all he knew and all he had ever known, but there was always the desire to spread his wings and see where the winds would carry him.
Anankos had loved the Earth, the way life had furled all around him and continued to prosper. He could hardly remember when humans had first been brought into the world, but watching them colonize and form bonds was contenting. Watching with a sort of envy, he found himself approaching the humans and conversing with them.
At that time, where life was new and ignorant, the humans did not shun Anankos for being a dragon. They had willingly accepted him into their world and taught him their language and ways of their culture. He had learned of this developing kingdom - Valla, they had called it - and had been welcomed by their king.
Ryuurei was the picture of calm and benevolence, his short blue hair falling close to his shoulders and framing golden eyes and a kind smile. He wore white robes and stood tall, and Anankos pondered how anybody could find the man intimidating. The human was good-hearted and saw the best in his people, as well as in the dragon. It was easy to dictate he ruled with his kindness rather than by instilling fear.
"My dear Anankos," the king greeted, his voice a mix of chivalry and genuine happiness, "I am grateful you are back in my kingdom. It has been a lonely time without your presence here in Valla."
Anankos frowned, fangs drawn back. Time had passed quicker than he had liked during his travels and it had been a few months since his last time in Valla. His blood had yearned for him to spread his wings and fly, to enjoy the peace of the skies and the wind against his skin. Distantly, he wished for humans to grow wings and enjoy the skies with him, but he brushed the thought away for how childish it seemed. Dragons would be the sole owners of the air, whether he liked it or not.
Without the company of humans, he had felt more of his draconic instincts tug at the edges of his mind. At first, it had been a simple desire to take to the skies, but the longer he spent away from Valla, the more intense urges became to bring harm to the humans he had learned to love. It was concerning, knowing that one day he would fall into a state where he would be unable to combat these desires, where he would harm those he cared about. He cursed his blood, his being, and had forced himself to return to the kingdom and visit the people.
The dragon exhaled, returning his thoughts to his friend. "My apologies for being away for so long, my king-"
"Please, no need for formalities," Ryuurei smiled, placing a hand upon one of Anankos'. The dragon returned the gesture with a smile of his own, grateful that the human valued their friendship and was comfortable enough to renounce titles. It was a simple, miniscule notion, but it was consoling in a way to share a sense of familiarity.
"I appreciate that, Ryuurei," Anankos acquiesced, eyes bright with the happiness he felt. However, his thoughts returned to the time he spent away from the kingdom and his people, causing a frown to tug at his lips. "But, pray tell, how are you? And the Vallites?"
The king smiled lightly, but Anankos noticed that it failed to reach his eyes. "We have been better, but the living conditions are... bearable." With the confusion that the dragon must have exhibited, Ryuurei ran his hand through his hair and elaborated with a nervous chuckle. "Our livestock are in poor health and we have nearly completely harvested all of the forest's berries. Our water supply is running low and my people are growing ill."
Anankos cursed himself. The people were dying and he had been flying through the skies without a care in the world. He could have replenished those supplies sooner and helped the humans that had been so welcoming to him. It was the least he could do after all they had done for him. And if it would provide relief to Ryuurei, the dragon would do everything in his power to help Valla.
"I wish I knew sooner, although that is my own fault." He admitted, upset with himself for being so ignorant and allowing his draconic instincts to get the better of him. At least he could atone by helping the humans now; better late than never, he surmised grimly. "However, I will replenish your supplies for my plunder."
Before Ryuurei could get a word in, Anankos backed up, putting a reasonable amount of space between him and the king. The dragon dug his claws into the ground and a gold radiance began to shine around him. Within seconds, trees began to rise from the Earth and all sorts of berries and fruits grew from their branches. The ground towards Anankos' feet rearranged and formed a long trench before water materialized to form a river.
Removing his claws from the Earth, he drew himself into a normal sitting position, regaining his energy after the exertion. Turning back to his friend, the king had his mouth agape but soon settled on a grateful smile. "Anankos, you are truly our savior!"
The dragon returned the smile, his fangs glinting in the sunlight. "You flatter me, Ryuurei," he chuckled, red eyes bright with joy, "but it was nothing. If you had power like mine, you would barely break a sweat while helping your people."
Although Anankos had meant it to be an offhand comment, he wondered if Ryuurei would take offense to it. Perhaps the king would make better use of inhuman powers to help the Vallites. All Anankos seemed to do with it was bottle it up and take to the skies for long months. It wasn't as if the dragon did not help the humans as well, but maybe humans would benefit more from such power.
"Ryuurei," he beckoned, leaning in towards the human. When the blue-haired man approached, Anankos rested his snout on the earth before the king. "Place your hand upon me."
With slight hesitation, the man did as he was told. He had no doubt in his mind that Anankos meant no harm, but it was still an odd request. Evidenced by the dragon providing food and another source of water mere minutes ago, Ryuurei had no issue with trusting the creature. After all, no harm had ever become of him or his people as a result of the dragon.
Anankos shut his eyes and his body began to glow a bright gold. It took a moment for Ryuurei to realize he was glowing as well, and when he became aware, he felt a new strength come to him and felt completely rejuvenated. Something in his blood burned with power and he felt a new warmth throughout his being. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Anankos pulled away and the golden incandescence had faded from both of them. Reopening red eyes, the dragon almost laughed at the mix of confusion and awe on the king's face.
"If any harm is to befall me or I am no longer myself," Anankos said, expression unreadable, "I have blessed you with my blood so that you will be able to help your people."
"Anankos, I-" Ryuurei began, taking a few steps forward with an outstretched arm. "I thank you sincerely for blessing me with such power, but... what do you mean by not being yourself? What sort of cruel fate will befall you?"
The dragon frowned, perhaps at the concern in the king's usually calm voice, perhaps at his own predicament. He knew he would eventually fall prey to his draconic instincts and there was no escaping his bloodline, his destiny. At least by entrusting some power into humans, there would be hope that, if - when he fell into madness, he would be able to be stopped.
"Fate is cruel to everyone and that does not exclude me," he said carefully, his words cryptic. "I cannot escape my destiny but I can at least lessen its consequences. As long as I can protect the humans that helped me, I will accept my fate. All I ask is that you remember me as the dragon that loved the people of Valla."
The king was shocked and continued to plead, to make sense of the dragon's ambiguous words. "Do not speak like you are already a goner, Anankos! We can get through this together, whatever this fate is. After what you have done for me and my people - our people... I will do everything in my power to prevent this fate!"
And after a long silence, Anankos smiled with resignation. "I pray you can save me from myself, my king."
Time passed much more quickly than Anankos would have liked. In the blink of an eye, Ryuurei had met a woman, gotten married, had kids, and grew old. The humans the dragon was used to seeing were changing, as they grew old too and the infants became children, teenagers, and adults. Seasons followed one another, laden with happiness and tears - and time was passing all too fast.
When Ryuurei had died, Anankos had been overcome by sorrow. The blood he had bestowed upon him all those years ago had done nothing to preserve his youth. The dragon had been powerless against the hands of time as it claimed countless Vallites, but the passing of the king had been the greatest sorrow he had felt. The people mourned as well, but their cries were nothing compared to Anankos' grief.
He cried and screamed and raged. He had destroyed an entire forest in his outrage but it didn't matter to him anymore. His friend was dead and he was powerless to do anything. He was useless, he could do nothing to save Ryuurei from fate - the same thing that was destined to claim his own sanity - and he could no longer contain his rage.
In fear, the humans he had come to love had begun attacking him, screaming for him to leave. Surrounded by fell trees, he growled in outrage at the barrage of arrows and the swords swung at his scales. They called him a monster, they condemned his outrage. At this point, he could not care about Valla or humanity, not after how they had treated him for caring for their king.
In the need to get away from it all, he spread his wings and seized the wind.
How could humans treat him like this? He had been mourning over the loss of their king just like them. He had been blinded by his sorrow and rage, that was true, but he could have easily regrown that forest. Why had the humans attacked him? Did they not care for him like they proclaimed they did? ... Had they only tolerated him because they knew their king liked him?
He roared, the sound booming despite flying through the air. He could hear the echo of it in the distance and he wondered if those in Valla could hear him, if it would strike fear into them and send them in a panic. Deep down, he knew he did not want harm to come to the humans, but the more conscious part of him desired their destruction and for pain to befall them. If he had to suffer alone at the thought of the death of Ryuurei and the betrayal of the Vallites, he wished he could inflict more harm to the humans.
He landed at the edge of a cliff and found shelter in a cave, away from Valla but close enough to see it in the distance. After he calmed down, perhaps he would return, but Anankos feared that the humans would not accept him after what he had done. No matter how many forests he conjured and how much water he supplied them, the trust they had was broken, and without the king to mend it, all hope was lost. The life he had cherished before was gone and the humans would never take him back.
Swallowing down the sorrow he felt, he retreated into the cave and slept.
Quite some time afterwards, he was awoken by a man with hair as blue and eyes as golden as Ryuurei's had been. In the haziness of his vision, Anankos nearly mistook the man for his friend before coming to the realization that the man was long since dead.
"Pardon my intrusion, Anankos," the man began, confidence booming. "But my father made a promise with you and I wish to fulfill it."
This man's father? With the color of his hair and the hue of his eyes, it was obvious this had to be Ryuurei's son. But what promise had the king made with him? He racked his memory for one such thing but came up empty, his mind still hazy from sleep.
"Do... do you not remember?" The man asked sadly, hope dying on his tongue. He was frowning and his eyes held unmistakable sorrow, something that the dragon picked up on. However, no matter how much effort he put into recalling the promise he made with Ryuurei, he found himself coming up empty with each and every attempt.
"And what promise was that?" He asked with a steady tone, concealing the inner turmoil he felt as his memory failed him. Hopefully the man would perceive him as condescending rather than vulnerable and weak. Even if this was Ryuurei's son, something in him wished to continue hating humanity and cause them agony.
The blue-haired man grabbed the pendant he was holding in one hand and used the other for gesturing as he spoke. "My father told you that he would save you from the fate of which you spoke of. He said that a cruel fate would befall you and he had promised to help you through your destiny. As my father is not with us anymore, I wish to fulfill his wish and help you, just like you helped our people."
At the mention of the Vallite people, Anankos scowled. The mention of Ryuurei and the promise he made caused something inside the dragon to feel something... he wanted to go back to Valla and speak with the people again, to become friendly with this man and watch over the royal family for generation after generation. He wanted to love humanity again and not feel the urge to... to...
"I have no intention of returning to the same people that attacked me," he growled, narrowing his eyes at the man. Not expecting such a reaction, the new king danced a few steps backwards, his hand still clutched around that necklace of his. "I will kill them... I will kill all of humanity for betraying me...!"
He reached his claws forward and he opened his mouth, fangs ready to clamp down on the man. The ground began to shake and trees began to protrude from the rocks around him, ready to ensnare the king and end his life. He would kill Valla's king as revenge, and then he would slaughter the humans as well. He would kill all of them...!
Suddenly, he was purged of malicious thoughts and the earth ceased its tremors. The trees that had begun to sprout retreated back into ground and he felt his rage leave him. He retracted his hands and pulled his claws away from the king, only now coming to the realization that the man was singing.
Distantly, Anankos remembered creating a dragonstone and bestowing it to Ryuurei. He had also crafted a melody that would quell his draconic instincts and taught it to the king to help fulfill the promise they had made. By using the power of the dragonstone and singing that song, the rage he had felt died and he felt normal after all this time.
"T-thank you," Anankos choked out, condemning himself for slipping so far into his madness that he nearly killed his friend's son. If only he could combat those urges without the need of the stone and the song, he would feel better. He knew it inflicted pain to the user by singing and he would hate to cause unnecessary pain to Ryuurei's son.
The king bowed, maintaining a smile although it was obvious how much it pained him to utilize the dragonstone's power. His voice was strained but it still held the same kindness Anankos recognized from Ryuurei. "See, Anankos, I can keep you under control. I know the real you loves humanity and would hate to see harm befall us. If you lose control, I can always rein you back in, so please, return with me to Valla-"
Anankos shut his eyes with a sigh, interrupting the king's request. "I cannot return to Valla after what I did. Your people hate me and I do not know if I can control myself." He knew the man would rebut with using the dragonstone so he started again almost instantly. "Using the dragonstone's power is clearly painful for you, King of Valla. I cannot in good conscience allow you to harm yourself in order to keep me in check. I could not forgive myself if you died and your people lost another king."
A long silence followed and Anankos opened his eyes, half-expecting the king to be gone after how long the quiet transpired. However, the man was still there, golden eyes clouded in internal debate. For how long he stood there in thought, the dragon began to feel guilty for causing all of this, but was grateful when the man finally spoke.
"If you do not wish to return, I cannot force you to. However," he glanced up to meet Anankos' eyes and flashed him a kind smile, one that instantly reminded the dragon of Ryuurei, "I will be sure to visit and provide you company."
And for the many years after that, Ryuurei's son visited whenever he could be away from his kingly duties. The man began to grow old as well and his visits became less and less frequent until they stopped altogether. Anankos cried once again but did not fall into madness, resigning to a silent mourning.
For many years, he was alone. Sometimes he would take to the skies to waste away the time, but he primarily stayed in his cave. He was only mildly surprised when the next king arrived at his cave, and after a lifetime spent with him, he died as well.
Before Anankos knew it, every single king of Valla after Ryuurei had befriended him and visited him constantly, only separated by their respective deaths. It was an endless cycle of happiness and sadness, but it was what he had become used to. Nothing would ever compare to his time with Ryuurei, but his descendants would have to do. At least some humans cared for him, no matter if they did it for the king's legacy or if they truly enjoyed his company. Whatever the reason was, it kept Anankos sane and he had no reason to complain.
However, countless kings after the time of Ryuurei, Anankos had been in a bad mood. There had not been a visit in quite some time and he reasoned that the king had probably grown old and died. He had liked this latest king, which was quite upsetting, but he figured he would get over it soon enough. The new king would arrive soon and the cycle would begin again.
Many years went by. The loneliness was close to driving the dragon insane, but he held on. The new king would be here soon and he would have a new friend. He would have a new friend and he would no longer be lonely.
Or maybe there would never be another king. Maybe the humans had grown sick of him and threw their tradition in the trash. It was upsetting to consider but it was certainly a possibility. The kings would stop coming and he would be lonely once again.
Nothing could contain his rage now. No dragonstone and no song meant there was nothing stopping those urges from ripping at his mind and dictating his life. He hated humans for betraying him. They had attacked him, and once he had left, they had built up his trust for centuries just to break it once again. They had lied to him. They had hurt him once again. They had betrayed him. They would die for this! Why had he been so foolish to fall into this cycle and trust humanity? He was stupid, so so stupid. He needed to eradicate the humans before they tricked him once again.
A man was beginning to enter his cave, and by the look of that unmistakable blue hair and golden eyes, it was the next king. However, rage boiled in his blood and his contempt was getting the best of him. Yes, he would get his revenge. After the humans had tricked him and manipulated him, he would kill this one. For making him into the fool, yes, he would kill this one.
He pounced on the king, digging his claws into the man's chest until he bled out. He spat on the man, looking over the disfigured body with disgust, and he tossed the corpse over the edge, watching as the pendant flew through the air.
Somewhere deep down, something pained him. Something was telling him how immoral his killing was and was begging him to stop. Killing the king had felt so good, so relieving... But he knew it was wrong. It was wrong and he was wrong.
Something in his mind split and a part of his soul ripped itself out, removing itself from him and disappearing somewhere beyond his vision.
In a split second, he had already forgotten the occurrence, overwhelmed with the desire to lay waste to humanity. Nothing else mattered and there was no small voice in the back of his head convincing him otherwise. He would finally get his revenge - he would kill those humans for causing him so much pain. He would eradicate the humans and make them pay for their betrayal.
The man awoke, red eyes bleary against the harsh sunlight. His head ached and had the faintest clue as to where he was. He was in a forest, he could tell as much, but nothing else seemed familiar. The white robes he wore seemed unfamiliar and the blue hair that hung around his face was foreign to him.
"Are you alright?" A voice beckoned. It was a woman's and it was filled with genuine concern, causing something in him to twist in sadness.
He pushed himself into a sitting position and was finally able to see the woman hovering over him. She had fair skin and her black hair framed her face gorgeously. Against the sunlight and with his hazy vision, he nearly mistook her for an angel, but when she spoke again, he was removed from his thoughts.
"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," she mused with a light chuckle. Nevertheless, she offered him her hand, to which he took to get to his feet.
She smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth. "My name is Mikoto, and what may I call you?"
Mikoto. What a beautiful name to fit an equally beautiful woman. He almost found his thoughts getting away from him with thoughts of her, but he was able to rein them back in when a more serious realization occurred to him.
"I... I don't know," he admitted, his voice trembling as he realized he had no recollection of anything before waking up in the forest. "I can't remember anything..."
Mikoto frowned, her eyes growing sad. Without much precedent, she took his hand into hers and began to leave the forest, surprising the man as he nearly got dragged away. However, her grip was gentle, but stern nonetheless.
"Well, until you remember, you'll be staying with me. These woods are dangerous and I will not allow you to be hurt," her voice was commanding, yet it held a kindness that reassured him that everything was going to be okay. That kindness tugged at something in his mind as well, but he pushed it aside. She probably reminded him of a person he could not remember at the time, someone warm and kind and caring.
Mikoto brought him to a small cabin and checked him for injuries but found nothing. Afterwards, she settled on cooking dinner while asking him questions about his memory and his past. Of course, he could provide her no answers - which served to frustrate both of them - but he found that he still enjoyed her company.
Later into the night, upon waking from something short of a nightmare, there was a single word that left his lips. It held countless emotions with endless memories tied to it, but he could recall none of them. Mikoto stirred beside him in both confusion and in excitement.
"Ryuurei?" She inquired, a smile tugging at her lips, "Maybe that is your name!"
He nodded along, accepting it as his name, but something did not seem right. Deep down, he knew that Ryuurei was somebody else - somebody that he had cared a lot about before he had lost his memories - but for now, all he could do was accept the name until he remembered his identity. Hearing Mikoto say it was music to his ears so he could not possibly refuse and upset her.
And many nights turned into many weeks, and many weeks turned into many months, and as the years flew by, Mikoto and Ryuurei fell in love. They got married and had a daughter, a girl named Kamui with eyes as red as her father and face as beautiful as her mother. Of course, thoughts of his past continued to haunt him, but with the life he had established, he did not want to look back.
One day while he was exploring the forest Mikoto had found him in all those years ago, Ryuurei smelt something foul. Although disgusted by the smell, his curiosity got the best of him and he headed towards the origin. Pushing past some branches, he hopped over a bush or two and nearly vomited at the sight.
A dead body, half-deteriorated with a mix of bones and rotten flesh. It was repugnant and he had to swallow down the bile rising in his throat. He could have easily ran away and forgotten what he had seen but something goaded him forward. Around the neck of the corpse was a pendant that shone with an otherworldly beauty, and he found his feet drawing closer without his consent.
Biting his tongue to distract himself from the urge to vomit, he leaned in towards the corpse and began to remove the pendant from its neck. Part of the head fell off at the slightest touch and Ryuurei winced in response. He hated the idea of stealing from a corpse, but something in him demanded him to retrieve the pendant.
When he finally got it off the corpse, he wiped it off with his sleeve. He was finally able to get a good look at it without dealing with the horrendous smell of carnage overwhelming his senses. Inspecting it, it was a blue stone encased by silver. Of course, it was pretty on its own, but there was something about it that seemed to draw him in and capture his attention completely.
Running his finger over the stone, he nearly dropped the pendant as visions ran across his eyes. His knees buckled beneath him and he fell to the ground but visions of dragons and kings with blue hair flashed before him.
When he eventually came back to his senses, he realized he was on his side and pulled inward, his hands still around the pendant. He was trembling, still shaken by everything he had seen. Ryuurei...
"No, I'm not Ryuurei..." He finished his thoughts out loud, as if he had to reaffirm himself. "Ryuurei was a better man than I ever was..."
He clutched at the pendant, holding it to his chest as if it were his lifeline, and began muttering to himself.
"I... I am Anankos."
He returned home, and upon finding Mikoto, he informed her that he had recovered him memories. After informing her, he left her the pendant and told her not to tell Kamui about him. It would be better if she believed that her father had left her, rather than the fact that her father was the dragon that had just killed the most recent king of Valla, who had happened to be the husband of Mikoto's sister, Arete.
After a long hug and many farewell kisses, he tore himself away from Mikoto. He planted a kiss to his daughter's forehead and took his leave, knowing it was better to not drag out his farewell, lest he make it more difficult. Begrudgingly, he left his wife and daughter, knowing it was for the best to not burden them. After everything Mikoto had done for him, there was no way he could possibly cause her any more trouble.
It was odd being on his own again, but he grew used to the solitude. Whenever he would come upon his dragon self would be even stranger, but he pushed through. He needed to be away from Mikoto and Kamui, as he was afraid the dragon would go after him and use his family against him. He had advised Mikoto to run to Hoshido, the kingdom that he was sure would accept them into hiding, and all he could do was pray.
During his long years of hiding, he had a strange feeling overcome him. Somewhere... In a different realm, a dragon had just been slain. How he could deduce such a thing was beyond him, but nevertheless, it filled him with hope. There were heroes out there that could help kill his dragon self.
Using the power he had, he summoned three of the warriors from that realm. They had seemed skeptical at first, but when he was finally able to tell them of his past and ask for their help, they surprised him by accepting.
"How could heroes such as us deny somebody in need?" Owain asked rhetorically, gesturing wildly as the other two sighed, already adapted to his theatrics. "I suppose being heroes is our birthright. Or maybe we crave the thrill of conquest... The seduction of revelation...!"
"We'll help you, but don't think we're doing this out of the goodness of our hearts," Severa huffed, crossing her arms and facing away from him.
Inigo tugged Owain towards him as well as pulled Severa closer so that he had either arm around his friends' shoulders. "Don't listen to them, Anankos," he chuckled with a wink. "We're happy to help you out."
Anankos smiled in grateful, his eyes hidden by the hood of his cloak. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much I appreciate this."
He bestowed them some of his blood and gave them new names and appearances. Odin cackled, dark magic fizzling at his fingertips as he began another speech about them being chosen heroes. Selena threatened to shut him up with a slice of her sword, and Laslow proceeded to laugh at the two of them.
As the battle began, he and the trio were able to hold back the monsters that surrounded them, but the real adversary was the girl with blue and red hair that called herself a servant to the "real" Anankos. After the battle, he learned that this girl was the daughter of his dragon self, which was a surprise in itself, and that his dragon self had treated this girl as nothing more than a slave.
He had sent the trio away to Nohr, where Kamui was, and it was just him and Lilith. The girl struggled with the demands of the dragon, her own desires, and the words of the human Anankos. In the end, she could not kill her human father, but while protecting her from an attack from his dragon self, he was at the edges of his consciousnesses and his life was slipping away from him.
"Are... are you okay, Lilith?" He asked weakly, to which she affirmed. Noise was beginning to grow quiet and his vision was dark around the edges, leaving just the sight of his daughter. "Good, I'm... glad."
They continued to talk, but the longer they conversed, the more difficult it became to speak. His breathing was labored and his heart was beginning to slow.
This was it. This... was it? It seemed absurd. His entire life was a jumbled mess, most of his existence being a dragon but at the end, he was thrown into a human life and he was going to die as one. A human... how ironic. The ones he had loved and shared his power to... the ones he had detested and swore he would eliminate from the earth.
He laughed, at how unpredictable his life had been. At how bizarre his existence had been, at how he would technically still be alive through his dragon self. He laughed, a smile on his face as Lilith held onto him like she had known and loved him her entire life.
He apologized. To Lilith. To Mikoto. To Kamui.
And he faded away into bubbles, bubbles with lives as fleeting as his had been.
Anankos laughed. Everything was so easy - so simple. Garon was so easy to manipulate after the death of Queen Katerina, and watching the warfare that followed between Nohr and Hoshido was amusing. Pitting humans against one another was entertaining and the destruction they caused one another was a pleasure to watch.
He spent many years like that, enjoying the bloodshed between the two nations, but he took a particular notice when the two royal families gathered around a girl with hair as white as snow and a decision was made. Once she returned to Nohr, Anankos could almost feel the negative emotions festering in the Hoshidan royal family.
And although each and every single one of them held their own self-loathing, the second prince exuded his feelings. The dragon could nearly smell the jealousy coming from the boy, but after the girl had chosen Nohr, he was filled with feelings of hurt and betrayal.
Anankos, somewhere deep down, found it all too familiar. The feeling of being betrayed, no matter how many years had passed, was still a wound of his easily reopened, and he knew it would be easy to manipulate this boy. By sneaking into his conscious through his emotions, the dragon lay dormant in the boy's mind, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Garon would function perfectly fine without his constant guidance. He was already delusional with the promise of power from Anankos, meaning he would not have to put in any more effort to make the King of Nohr his pawn. That meant he could focus all of his power onto goading this boy into becoming his puppet.
The more time that passed, the more territory Nohr conquered and the more battles were lost by Hoshido. Takumi cursed himself for being weak, for being useless - and Anankos found himself agreeing, continuing to push the boy farther and farther into the depths of despair.
Upon losing at the Wall of Suzanoh, Anankos was finally able to manipulate Takumi's emotions to the point of suicide. With Takumi finally dead, the dragon would be able to use his body and start by killing that pesky daughter of his.
The fight in the throne room had been gruesome, and in some sort of last resort, Anankos bound part of his soul to Takumi's. He would suffer for the lifetimes to come, but he was assured survival.
Kamui had her blade to his throat, the Yato gleaming with blood from his subordinates. Anankos goaded her to kill him but, just as he expected her to, she yielded. She could not give the finishing blow, not to her brother.
The younger Nohrian prince strode forward, divine tome in his hand and magic cracking in his palm. "If my sister doesn't have the heart to do it, then I have no problem with finishing this up."
Anankos grinned in a deranged way, red eyes jubilant. He would be back. Takumi's soul would be reincarnated and he would get his revenge. It would take time, he was certain of it, but he would have his revenge.
"Nothing but cinders!"
And for a long time after that, there was nothing but blackness.
He had slight cognition of the lives that followed, but he found that he spent most of his time laying dormant and sleeping. He was exhausted and although he had no physical body, everything seemed to hurt him. The only thing that would occasionally disturb him would be the nightmares the soul was prone to and a few thoughts here and there.
Many lifetimes went by like that, but upon the death of one and the transition of the next, Anankos knew something was different this time around. When he tapped into his shared consciousness and saw the Hoshidan royal family, he knew something was wrong. When he was named Takumi once again... there was something wrong.
He befriended the soul unwillingly, and the life he spent with Takumi began to bring him back to his senses. He had loved humanity. He had loved humans and it was his draconic instincts that drove him to wish for their end. Watching Takumi grow up seemed to draw forth a fatherly instinct, the same he felt with Kamui... The same his human self felt with Lilith.
Perhaps that human part had always been with the dragon - it had just been obscured by the worst stages of his degeneration and his madness. Although they were separated at the time, Anankos could distinctly remember his time with Mikoto and Kamui, and he could recall the genuine love he felt for them. That part of him had never truly left him after all.
"Ryuurei?" Takumi asked, his eyes rolling over the words of a book but their meaning not registering in this head. A mason jar filled with fireflies shined over his shoulder from his windowsill, their radiance providing a bright enough light source to read.
Yes, Taki? He replied almost immediately, a bit disoriented from his recollection.
Takumi placed the book over his chest and gazed blankly at his ceiling. "You were alive once, right?"
Not understanding where his train of thought was heading, all Anankos could do was answer his question truthfully. Yes, I... was alive once.
A childish hope entered his eyes and his lips tugged into a light smile; his thoughts were filled with a girl with long blue hair and golden eyes. "Was there anybody you ever loved?"
Anankos thought of Ryuurei, the first king of Valla and his first friend. He thought of the humans of Valla and of the kings that followed. He thought of Mikoto, of Kamui and Lilith...
No. He answered, crushing whatever hopes Takumi had in his mind. Anankos knew it was a lie, but there was a part of him tugging at him, goading him into taking complete control over Takumi and wreaking havoc over humanity, just like he had promised all those lifetimes ago. His draconic instincts were clawing at him and it was hard to fight down the urges.
He had loved before. He had loved many humans, but he was drowning in the madness he felt constantly pulling at his consciousness. It would not be long before he completely submitted to those desires and Takumi would be swallowed along with him. If there was any way to save the two of them, to prevent the degeneration from affecting both of them...
Takumi. Anankos hissed, and the boy was caught off guard by the use of his full name. You must find Azura, and quickly.
"Ryu, it's two in the morning," he reasoned, "I couldn't possibly-!"
Anankos growled, biting back a roar, causing Takumi to wince. I don't know how much longer I can fight this, so please...
"Fight what?" Takumi shouted in a whisper, exasperated and frantic at what the voice was getting on about. "What even are you?"
I'll explain everything later, just please... Find her and have her sing for us.
The pleading in Ryuurei's voice is what really sent Takumi into action. He had heard the voice angry, snarky, happy, upset... anything but panicked and afraid and pleading with him. It was something that frightened him as well and he never wanted to hear the voice speak like that ever again.
He shoved his feet into his shoes and threw on a jacket, the cold snapping him out of the half-asleep state he was in, and he ran. Having been over to the house to hang out with Leo, he knew exactly which house he was heading to. No matter how absurd it seemed as he ran the situation over (the voice in his head goaded him to run to Azura's house at two in the morning for her to sing to him), he knew he had to fulfill Anankos' wish.
While he was running, he heard the voice cry out in anguish. Fear seized his heart and his mind raced to come up with a conclusion. However, before Takumi could inquire about it, he lost all feeling in his body and blacked out.
A/N: Well. This chapter covered Anankos' perspective from his birth, his time with Ryuurei and the kings that followed, his life with Mikoto, the events of the Hidden Truths DLC, an abridged version of Conquest, and the events of this fic. Man, am I tired. Ends in a cliffhanger too so I'm a jerk. :P
