Be Strong
By Mr. Kite
Ninian stood in the walls of a newly rebuilt Castle Askr. She was recently summoned by Kirian, but she could tell something was off. He seemed distant. She received word that other summoners were close to their allies while this one wasn't. He didn't even come down for dinner when Jegan called. "Kirian please." Alfonse, the Prince of Askr shouted to the summoner. "You must pull yourself up! Tell us what is bothering you!" He was followed by Sharena, his sister and the Princess. He wouldn't answer, just silently walked to the Summoner Stone.
Ninian didn't like how Kirian was acting, but what could she do? When the summoner won't open up, how can she help? "I wish I could help…" She said silently as she saw him glumly summon more heroes. She heard how excited heath session was from a visiting Hector, but he had no emotion at all. She walked away, hoping to think of something. It was then she heard the faint calls of someone she assumed was Prince Marth of Altea. She ran up, but this was different. It wasn't a new summon, he was faint and staticky. "M-Marth…" She said timidly.
"Yes, Lady Ninian." He said with a bow.
"What's wrong? Why are you faint?" She was worried.
"I am not summoned here, I am only here to give a message."
"What is it?"
"Your summoner isn't a fresh face. He was once the Summoner of my world. He used to be the summoner for a different Castle Askr. He worked ever so hard to build it to a strong fortress. But…"
"But what?"
"Kirian, was always a happy man. He never once complained when on the field with us. In fact, I don't think he knew the meaning of the word sad. Until one day. He was getting his summon weapon ready for another session when things started going… away." Marth explained. Ninian was shocked. Away? How could the word just begin to vanish? "There was nothing he could do. Lady Ursula and Lady Olwen used their magic to transport him to another time. Another Askr to start again. He refused to leave, claiming he wasn't going to leave his family. I pushed him through the portal they had summoned. He was shouting he didn't want to leave as everyone was vanishing." He held his head down. "I used the portal to deliver a message to the one he summons first, as I was his first summon before. Be Strong. Kirian is carrying a weight of something out of his control. He is holding the loss of his Askr as his own fault, I want you to just be there to tell him it'll be ok." Tears began streaming down Marth's face. "Tell him I said to be strong. He will summon another Marth but deep down he will always carry those memories. The memories of our time together." Marth took Ninian's hands and a flood of memories of Kirian summoning Marth for the first time, recruiting Xander and Camus, reuniting Chrom with Robin. She begin to cry as all the memories ended with the world vanishing as Marth saluted him goodbye. She broke down right there. "Tell him those words, tell him what I told you." With that, Marth vanished away. The last connection to Kirian's Askr was gone. Ninian heard Kirian and Eliwood rush towards her.
"Ninian! Is everything alright!?" Eliwood said, pulling her off the ground. She nodded, looking to Kirian.
"Yes my love, but I have to tell Kirian something…"
"What is it?" Eliwood asked.
She turned to the summoner, who was slightly confused. A tear fell down her face as she spoke, "Marth said to be strong. They'll always be with you." Kirian froze. Tears rolling out of his eyes. He collapsed into her arms.
"I couldn't save them… It's all my fault…" Was all he said. Ninian comforted him.
"Remember what I told you, Marth said to be strong. You can stop blaming yourself."
I actually broke down writing this, but this is basked on an actual experience I had where I accidentally deleted my save and like a nimrod, crated a new link with the My Nintendo that had all my progress.