Illusions and Lies (A Super Smash Brothers fan fiction)

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: YOU WORRY TOO MUCH.

It was early in the morning. Corrin couldn't sleep, which surprised him. The day before had been a particularly challenging training session, which had been centered around giving him more control over his actions when he transformed. It had been successful, but it had also left him in a weird state of mind that was half primal instincts thanks to his dragon blood and half regular human brain. 

He wasn't sure what part of his brain was keeping him awake now, but he really wished he could just go back to sleep. Sighing softly, Corrin glanced away from the ceiling that he had been staring at for what felt like the past hour and down at Sheik, who was sleeping next to him. It was almost a miracle that the blond boy had stayed asleep for so long, seeing as he had long been haunted by nightmares. Several times, Sheik had described what he saw while he slept, his face pale and his shoulders shaking. 

"I see death. I watch you or Zelda die, tortured and beaten until you scream, but the Headmaster won't stop." 

"Sometimes I relive what happened to me. If I don't dream of your death, I dream of my own torture. I experience it as if it is happening again, and sometimes the memory of the Caretaker's hands on me lingers even after I wake."

Almost subconsciously, Corrin brushed Sheik's bangs out of his eyes, even though he was sleeping. A soft smile touched his face, and he almost couldn't believe this was real despite the fact that it had been- what, nearly a month now? Yes, that sounded about right. In any case, this still felt so surreal. Despite the fact of the war they were all about to enter looming over their heads, Corrin felt more at peace than he ever had. He didn't really want moments like these to end, because it felt more right than anything he could remember. 

So what if he couldn't remember his childhood before being taken? None of his friends could, and nobody seemed to miss it all that much. Of course, there were always moments when Corrin missed what he had lost. Usually, that was in the presence of his so called family. They all tried to tell him this was who he had been and who he should be now, but Corrin found it harder and harder to connect with them. His blood relatives couldn't understand him now. And as cheesy as it sounded, his friends were his family now. They at least understood him. They knew what he confronted with each day he existed. They might not always treat him well, but that was to be expected in a friend group. You can't get along with everybody all the time, unfortunately. He had realized that a long time ago. 

Eventually, his thoughts lulled him to sleep. It was a relief that he was well aware he needed, but his head had kept him awake. His head often got in the way of things. Sheik used to tease him about how he worried too much, but that was before things had changed. That was before he had been broken. Now, Sheik worried just as much as Corrin did. 

They had all changed. Thanks to the Headmaster and their cruel treatment, none of his friends were the same people they had been before. And while that may not have been the most pleasant thought to have as sleep whisked him away, it didn't bring any dreams along with it. 

././.

When Corrin woke up again, it was midmorning. A quick glance over at the clock told him that he had about an hour and thirty minutes before training would begin for the day. Sheik wasn't lying next to him when he woke up, which was a bit concerning. Usually, Sheik slept longer than he did, since it took him longer to get to sleep in the first place. He dismissed the brief worries that came to mind when he heard the sound of something sizzling in a pan. The sound came from the direction of the kitchen, so it was safe to assume Sheik was cooking breakfast. 

Corrin yawned and stood up, grabbing his favorite sweatshirt and slipping it on as he did so. He didn't really feel like getting dressed properly yet, since he did have some time to wait before he had to leave. Moving a bit slower than he usually did thanks to his brain still trying to wake up a bit, Corrin exited the bedroom and walked into the main room of the apartment. From here, he could see that Sheik was standing at the stove, cooking breakfast.