Snapshot Forty-Four: In Endless Dreams

Game: Fates. What else is new?

Spoilers: Pretty much all of Revelation, but ALSO the Heirs of Fate DLC. Don't read if you haven't played. And, if you haven't, why haven't you played it yet? It's amazing.

Summary: Children who had lived in the deep realms are torn from their peaceful lives. Their parents are gone, possibly even dead. But they are far from it...for the moment.

Notes: Imma drop this right here. Perhaps you could drop me a review in return to tell me what you thought? Maybe?

In any case, ENJOY!


Takumi opened his eyes, blinking to clear his blurred vision. This wasn't the bed, the room, that he shared with his wife. For one, his surroundings were too dark. For another, he wasn't in a bed. Or on anything comfortable.

He rubbed his eyes, blinked, and realized, as his vision cleared, he was in a cage. He sat up abruptly. "Welcome back to the world of the living," came his brother's sarcastic voice. He turned and saw Ryoma in a cage next to his, stripped of his crimson armor and scowling ferociously.

"Where are we?" Takumi asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Ryoma shrugged, pulling on the sleeves of his long battle tunic. "No idea, but it's freezing here."

"Grow a spine."

Takumi glanced around toward the source of the new voice and saw Leo, the prince of Nohr, looking just as cranky as Ryoma. Upon further investigation of the room, the archer saw that it was full of people he recognized from the war against Valla, Nohrians and Hoshidans alike. Each was in his or her own cell, of which there were two rows. Those with armor had been stripped of it, and weapons were nowhere in sight.

Keaton, directly across from Ryoma, was in humanoid form, gnawing on the lock of his cell. Next to him, Kaden reached a hand through the bars. "I've told you," he said, prodding the Wolfskin's shoulder. "It won't work and you'll damage your teeth." Keaton growled, but gave up.

In another cell, Kaze was trying to pick the lock on his door. Takumi leaned back against the bars of his cage, sighing.

"Corrin, how long have we been here?" Ryoma asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Couple hours." Takumi looked and saw a man with dark blue hair wearing nothing but a thin pair of pants. Beyond him was a woman - Kiryoku, the archer realized - wearing the thinnest shirt and pair of pants imaginable. "And you think you're cold? Kiryoku and I have next to nothing, because we wear almost all armor."

"Sorry."

The room descended into silence for a moment, until Kaze lost his grip on his makeshift lock pick. The object went flying, striking Arthur in the face. The man started cursing while Kaze tried to apologize. After a few moments, the room quieted again.

Takumi tried to think of some way out of the situation. They were trapped, with no weapons, no armor, and no idea of their location. No matter how many ideas the archer came up with, nothing seemed to work. And then the doors to the room opened, admitting a shadowy figure. Instantly, Takumi recognized him.

Anankos, the Silent Dragon.

"Well, well, my pets," he snarled. "Ready for the show?"

"What show?" Hayato snapped.

"Why, this of course." With a wave of his hand, an orb appeared, rippling like water until it showed five children – Kiragi, Selkie, Mitama, Hisame, and another girl - running through the halls of some ornate palace while chasing five others – Soleil, Percy, Siegbert, Velouria, and Ignatius. Takumi felt his stomach drop at the sight of his son. Corrin leaped to his feet when Percy scored a lucky hit on the unnamed girl. "Kana-bean!"

What was going on? Last Takumi knew, all the children were friends with each other.

"By the way," Anankos purred darkly. "Those on opposing sides see the others as phantoms. Dear little Kiragi does not know he shoots at his good friend Percy."

"You stop this right now, or I'll tear you to shreds!" Corrin shouted as Kana - the female Kana, not the male that was Takumi's younger son - stumbled. Mitama rushed to her side, staff ready to heal.

"Aw, does the widdle dwagon want to fight?" Anankos mocked. He cackled. Clearly, there was a screw loose somewhere. He waved his hand, and the door to Corrin's cell disappeared. Corrin fell forward as he suddenly had no resistance against gravity. He picked himself up, glaring at the Silent Dragon. Anankos spread his arms. "Go on. Rip me to shreds."

Corrin balled his hands into fists and charged. Anankos didn't move until the last moment, when he performed a smooth roundhouse kick, knocking Corrin to the cold stone floor. Takumi would have been impressed if it hadn't been Anankos. "Come on, little newt," the dragon mocked again, watching Corrin get to his hands and knees, spitting blood on the floor. "I'm still in one piece."

"Leave my brother alone!" Ryoma snarled. Takumi blinked in surprise. Corrin, whoever he was, was certainly not his brother. He didn't have another brother besides Ryoma. "Up you get," Anankos provoked. "Oh look, poor little Kana is facing a nasty Wolfskin. Hope Velouria eats her alive."

"We don't eat humans," Keaton snapped.

"Ah, but does she realize she's facing a human? For all we know, she could see a cowardly herd of deer." Corrin rushed the dragon again, but was met with another swift kick, this time to his stomach. He collapsed again, coughing.

"That's enough," Xander shouted. "Leave the boy alone!"

Anankos smirked and waved his hand toward the orb. It rippled and changed, showing eleven more children pitted against each other. Kana – the one Takumi recognized – Dwyer, Sophie, Forrest, Nina, and Ophelia attempted to find their way out of a strange-looking version of Castle Shirasagi. Shiro, Asugi, Caeldori, Rhajat, and Midori tried their best to stop them.

"What is the point of this?" Kiryoku asked, speaking up for the first time. Anankos smirked at her. Suddenly, she was pulled from her cage by an invisible force to kneel next to Corrin.

"The point, my child, is this," Anankos began, crouching to Kiryoku's level. "I want to rule the world. Not just mine, but all of the worlds. The ones of those worlds who stood against me - you and your children - shall perish. One way or another. And it won't be pretty." He stood, looked at each of his captives. At Saizo, staring pale-faced as Asugi took a hard blow from Sophie and collapsed. At Laslow and Odin, who glared at the dragon as if they had stared down a powerful being before. At Niles, shooting said dragon an obscene and incredibly rude hand gesture. At Takumi, frozen, grasping at the bars of his cell and hoping that Kiryoku wouldn't be hurt. "You will all serve me, willingly or not."

"In your dreams!" Hinata challenged. Anankos waved his hand, and the samurai flew backward, crashing into the bars at the far end of his cell.

"Willingly or not," the dragon repeated. He hauled Corrin and Kiryoku to their feet, shoving them roughly toward the door.

Takumi lost it then. "Where are you taking them?" he demanded. "Bring them back!"

Anankos turned, glaring. "I'd like to see you make me try. But don't worry, you'll see them again, eventually. In the afterlife."

"Harm one hair on either of their heads and you will regret it!" An invisible force shoved him backward, pinning him to the bars.

Anankos stalked up to him. "I tire of petty threats. You will be the first, then."

"You won't turn me."

"I can and will. I know your weaknesses, all of you. Odin, dear little theatrical prince, thinking on his childish mother and the friends and family he left behind."

"Leave my mother out of this, fiend!" Odin shouted.

The dragon continued, ignoring the protest. "Ryoma, wishing to be just like his dear dead daddy but knowing that Hoshido will fall into ruin under his reign." Ryoma growled and mimicked Niles' hand gesture. "Hayato, poor little guy who never knew his parents, and will never get beyond four feet tall and a baby face."

"I'll show you four feet, you overgrown lizard!"

Again, Anankos acted as if he hadn't heard the protest. "And you, Takumi. Prince of nothing. Always inferior to your siblings. Always unloved. If you had been killed or kidnapped like Kiryoku or Corrin, you know you would be forgotten."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, hit a nerve, did I?" Anankos strode away, pausing only to grab Kiryoku and Corrin.

The doors shut, and Takumi, released from the invisible hold, slumped to the floor of his cage. "It's not true," he muttered. "It's not true." He stared at the orb, now switching between Kiragi's fight and Shiro's fight.

Darkness overtook him. He was useless. He was unwanted and unloved. The forgotten child, no good at swordsmanship, or anything really, only good at archery because of the Fujin Yumi. Always overlooked and overshadowed.

And he hated them. All of them. Even Kiryoku, who was to blame for his mother's death.

Anankos was right. If...if he did serve the dragon, all would bow to him, and he would make sure they never overlooked him. A part of him knew that it wasn't right, but its voice was quickly silenced.

Then he saw Kiragi, Fujin Yumi in his hands. That boy! Even he overlooked his own father! Well not anymore.

Takumi, suddenly finding a bow in his hands, moved forward. He took aim, but was startled when the boy saw him - how long had it been since someone looked him in the eyes like that?

The boy smiled. "Dad! Is that really you?"

Takumi scowled. "Yes, now hand over my Fujin Yumi. I'm not dead, you know!"

But Kiragi continued like he hadn't heard his father. "This is great! I thought I'd never see you again! Guess what?" He bounced up and down. "I made a bunch of new friends, and I figured out how to use the Fujin Yumi! I was pretty excited to show you what I've learned and see what you think. I'm not expecting you to gush. I know you're not great at expressing yourself. But I love you, Dad. If I can make you crack a smile, that'll be plenty."

Takumi stared at him. What was the boy trying to do?

Kiragi's face fell. "Uh... This is getting awkward, Dad. Are you ever going to say something?"

He couldn't take it. Those sad eyes. "Kiragi…"

"Dad..." He sighed and stood tall and determined. "I get it. It'll be all right. I'll get you back to the way you were before. Just make sure that when I jump into your arms with joy, you catch me, okay?"

"Enough of this."

Kiragi's eyes filled with sadness as he watched Takumi lift his bow again. He released, astonished that the boy didn't move out of the way, willing to take an arrow wound. He gave a sad smile, mixed with pain. "Sorry, Dad. I have to do this." He aimed Fujin Yumi, and called up an arrow. "Here goes!"

The arrow flew straight and true, striking Takumi in the chest and sending him flying backwards. He collapsed. Fog that had been clouding his senses began to clear. He stared up at a navy sky filled with stars. Kiragi came into view. "Sorry," he said again.

"Kiragi, get your behind over here, we're getting destroyed!"

Odd, how only Kiragi's voice had made it through the fog before.

Kiragi looked up. "Coming, Shiro!" The boy ran off.

Takumi listened, unable to move. Shouts filled the air, as did the roar of a dragon that was not Kiryoku. People were fighting all around him, yet none saw him. Over it all was a tune, a song, sung by a smooth tenor. "In endless dreams, countless realms collide. Hope falls only to rise like the changing tide. But all dreams come to an end, just whispers on the wind."

Takumi didn't know how long he laid there, listening to the words that somehow made his spirit lighter.

But then everything went white.

And then...blue.

He found himself lying on a grassy lawn in the shade of a cherry blossom tree. Someone was calling his name. Suddenly, Kiryoku stood over him. "Found you!" she crowed triumphantly. "And you say I'm the sleepy head."

"Sorry, Kiry-chan." He rubbed his face. "I was having the weirdest dream..."

"What about?"

"I...don't quite remember. I just remember you were in it...and Anankos was too. He forced us to fight for him...?"

"Ick. Good thing he's dead."

"Yup."

"Anyway, dinner's about ready. I made your favorite. Kana-bean helped me out, too." She pulled him up.

Takumi grinned. He brushed a lock of hair from her face and kissed her. "I love you, Kiryoku."

"Love you, too, Takumi." They started toward their home. "Only problem is," Kiryoku continued as they entered the house, "Kiragi is still out hunting." She grinned as she saw Kana setting the table.

"I'll go see if I can find him." Takumi started into the bright, comfortable room which he shared with his wife and saw, stunningly, that Fujin Yumi was missing from its display next to the Omega Yato. He stepped back into the dining room.

"Did someone take Fujin Yumi?"

"Nope!" Kana replied.

"It's missing?" Kamui asked.

"It's not where I left it."

"Kiragi has it," Kana added.

"How do you know?"

Kana pointed out the window. Takumi looked and saw Kiragi stepping through the gate. Fujin Yumi was balanced over one shoulder, his game bag dangling empty from his free hand. Takumi started to the door. "Go easy on him," Kiryoku said. Takumi nodded. He opened the door and leaned against the frame.

"No luck?" he asked.

Kiragi looked up from studying the path. "Dad?"

Takumi moved forward a few steps. Kiragi grinned widely and abandoned his belongings, running and leaping into his father's arms. Takumi laughed and caught him. He hugged him close. His son hugged him tightly in return. "I missed you, Dad. I don't know why, but I did."

And then it hit Takumi. His dream was, perhaps not a dream, but a reality. Guilt and shame flooded him as he recalled what he had done. He only hugged his son tighter. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why?"

"Same reason you missed me."

Kiragi laughed. "Oh! Guess what?" The boy wriggled out of his father's embrace and ran to where he had dropped his belongings. He looked rather sheepish as he approached his father again, holding Fujin Yumi. "I figured out how to work it..." he said. "Sorry I borrowed it."

"Just ask next time." Takumi nodded toward a convenient target against the garden wall. Taking the cue, Kiragi took a perfect stance. He aimed, and, with a burst of wind, the bowstring and arrow faded into existence. With a quick moment to sight, the young archer released. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting dead center before dissolving into thin air. Kiragi grinned up at his dad, letting the bowstring also disappear.

Takumi cracked a proud grin and ruffled his son's hair. "That's my boy. Come on. Your mother has dinner ready." Father and son started toward the house, Takumi's hand resting proudly on his son's shoulder.


Published 1/4/2017