Author's Note: Hello friends I'm back with angst
My Kingdom Come
Some decide to stay.
Fell Robin has the decency to wait until the Awakening heroes have departed before seeing his counterpart off, no doubt a result of Kiran's influence. "Give them hell," he says, returning her lazy smirk with one of his own as she leaves for the future past, free to rule as she pleases.
The manaketes have all the time in the world, so a few of them plan to explore Zenith now that the fighting's died down. Charlotte, Tharja, and the other brides organize a "hen honeymoon" to the various towns in Askr, packing enough bags to last a month and dragging a certain blue-haired groom along for their holiday.
(There had been some confusion over Kiran's offhand comment on their carriage having too many wheels, but the summoner only laughs it off when asked and tells them to have fun.)
Others like Olivia, Azura, and their sons do a short performance tour to spend some quality bonding time together while spreading the joys of song and dance as they travel. Robin and Corrin lead teams of holiday heroes in doing relief work where the war had ravaged. They start with Nifl, supporting Queen Fjorm's efforts to rebuild her beloved kingdom.
The rest say their goodbyes before leaving, having unfinished business to return to or family and friends waiting for them. Kiran personally sees each and every one of them off, bidding them a tearful farewell with one last handshake and/or hug before they step through their respective portals.
(There are exceptions, of course: most notably Valter, whose lecherous tendencies earn him a Judo throw back to his world instead ("and good riddance," Kiran mutters under their breath). It takes ten minutes for Eirika and Ephraim to stop laughing, and the remainder of the more problematic heroes suddenly become very well-behaved after that).
On top of managing the affairs of their own country, the Askran trio are also busy making sure that their allies get home safely, taking great care to open the right gateways to the right worlds.
And yet, even as the number of heroes left in Zenith begins to dwindle, the one world they've yet to find the gateway to is Kiran's.
"What exactly were you doing when you were summoned?"
Kiran looks up in surprise, caught off guard by the unexpected question. "That was random. Why the sudden interest?"
"Oh nothing, just curious!" Sharena smiles innocently, taking the seat opposite them at one of the library's tables. It's such a beautiful day outside; why the summoner would choose to spend it indoors reading is anyone's guess. Personally, the princess thinks it has to do with avoiding a certain manakete with the penchant for hide-and-dragonseek. "With all the heroes making their way back home, it just occurred to me that we still don't know much about your world."
"Fair enough. I was…" Kiran pauses, trailing off with a contemplative frown. "Huh. You know, I don't actually remember. It was so long ago… I think I might have been out with some friends?"
The expression on Kiran's face is starting to become a little too troubled for Sharena's liking, so she quickly switches tracks and asks about their hometown instead.
Metal wagons that move without horses, lightning harnessed for everyday activities, tiny devices that allow people to see and talk with one another even when continents apart… The summoner's world truly sounds like nothing they've ever encountered before. Sharena mentally catalogues all the information being fed to her, careful not to arouse too much suspicion with her probing. It simply won't do to give away the surprise after all.
Aside from sending the heroes home, the Askran trio have also been tirelessly looking for the gateway to Kiran's world. None of the new realms discovered so far matches Kiran's wistful descriptions, but they owe it to them to keep trying. Sharena has taken it upon herself to wheedle the summoner for details and compile a list of distinctive features to help them recognize it when they see it. Alfonse prefers to spend his spare time researching in the library instead, perusing stacks of books for ideas on how to expand their search. Anna has reached out to her many sisters as well, but all in all, their combined efforts have yet to yield any results.
Just as Kiran is about to explain the different kinds of transport systems available however, Sharena suddenly recalls a favor Anna had asked of her.
"Say Kiran, do you mind lending us Breidablik for a while?"
Bruno can tell Veronica is getting annoyed with their frequent trips to Askr. Never mind that she's the one who insists on accompanying him; he's going to owe her weeks of tea time at this rate.
"They're persistent, I'll give them that," she remarks as they make their way towards the summoning grounds. "Admirable, if not for the fact that we have to clean up their mess afterwards."
"We are the only ones who can close the gateways," Bruno reminds her, not unkindly. He knows her grumbling is only for show. Kiran and the Askran trio had broken their family's curse; helping the summoner find a way home is the least they can do.
Beneath a towering stone arch, Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna greet them at the central monolith. They exchange pleasantries before getting down to business.
"What if the summoner doesn't want to leave?" Veronica asks out of the blue, after the third gateway to the wrong world has been closed. "Would it be so bad if they stayed?"
"Of course not! They're more than welcome to remain here," Alfonse replies, looking almost offended at the notion that they would send Kiran away against their will. "We may not need a summoner or a tactician anymore, but that doesn't mean they have to go."
"We can always start another war if you want. I'm sure Grima would be more than happy to help."
Sharena laughs good-naturedly. "It's not like we're banishing them for good! We just thought it would be nice if they could see their family and friends again. Breidablik belongs to them now, so they can come back and visit whenever they want!"
Bruno's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "You're letting them keep the legendary relic?"
"Well, they are the only one who can use it…"
"Not quite!" Anna interjects, stepping forward with said relic in hand. "I was thinking, I used Breidablik to summon Kiran the first time round. Maybe I could use it again to open the gateway to their world?"
"That's brilliant, Commander!"
"And you only thought of this now?!"
Veronica's unimpressed scowl is a stark contrast to Sharena's excited grin. Sharing an exasperated look with Alfonse, Bruno prepares to mediate before a squabble can break out between their sisters. The Askran prince watches on in amusement, his thoughts wandering back to Veronica's previous words.
It's true that they haven't asked Kiran about their plans for the future. In fact, Kiran doesn't even seem to be in a hurry to go home. A part of him wonders if it's because they've already abandoned all hope of returning. Ever since Anna had so casually dismissed their concerns during the early stages of the war, they have not brought up the issue again. Still, Alfonse is determined to prove that they haven't forgotten. Reuniting them with their family and friends seems like the best way to do it.
"Let's give this a shot, shall we?" With two hands gripping Breidablik firmly, Anna aims at the monolith, takes a deep breath, and pulls the trigger. A moment passes…
…
…
And nothing happens.
There is a collective exhale as the anticipation dissipates. Anna shakes Breidablik in confusion. "Hmm, should I have loaded it with a few orbs?"
"Don't you remember how you did it the first time?" Veronica snarks.
"I was busy trying not to get killed by one of your soldiers!"
"Why, you insolent -"
A burst of light erupts from atop the monolith as a portal suddenly appears, quickly growing to full size. Falling silent, the group waits in suspense for the world beyond to be revealed.
Without warning, a shadowy blur darts through before vanishing into thin air, all in the blink of an eye. Everyone immediately goes on high alert, drawing their weapons. Bruno swiftly puts himself between Veronica and the portal, the other side still shrouded in a thick fog; the Askran trio stands back-to-back in a tight defensive circle.
"What was that? Some kind of wild beast?" Alfonse voices the question on everybody's minds, scanning the area warily. Nothing seems out of place, but one can never be too careful when dealing with unknown creatures from foreign worlds.
"Hard to say. With that kind of speed, it's probably long gone by now." Bruno lowers his tome, though he doesn't quite relax just yet. "In any case, we don't even know if this gateway leads to the summoner's world. It's highly likely, but there's no way for us to confirm it."
"Shouldn't we be chasing that thing down?" Sharena asks worriedly. "What if it's hostile? Somebody could get hurt!"
Anna quickly takes charge of the situation. "Sharena has a point. We'd best close the gateway too, just in case any more tries to come thr-"
A deafening roar shatters the air and sends tremors across the land, its echoes reverberating in their bones. It is not a sound known to be associated with anything good; while most of the Order's foes easily recognize it as a prelude to the fell dragon's rain of destruction on the battlefield, Grima only ever unleashes his draconic manifestation in friendly territory if they're under attack…
Or if Kiran's in danger.
Sure enough, a gigantic, winged serpentine form is seen hovering above the Askran castle in the distance, dark storm clouds beginning to gather around it.
"Bruno, Veronica, close that gateway now!" Anna orders frantically.
"We're trying," Bruno grunts, a hint of panic in his normally calm demeanor. "Something's wrong. It's not responding to us at all."
"What?" Alfonse gasps in shock. "How can this be?"
Veronica snarls at him, her hands raised with palms facing the portal and trembling slightly. "Does it look like we know? Something's preventing us from closing it… Nothing we do is working!"
Anna curses under her breath. "Both of you, stay here and guard the gateway. Don't let anything else through! Alfonse, Sharena, we need to find Kiran fast!"
"Last I checked, they were with the manaketes!" Sharena recalls, already breaking into a run towards the castle. "Even without Breidablik, they should be safe, unless…"
The princess picks up the pace with a frightened cry, her brother and commander right behind her.
It's quiet… Too quiet.
Near a small clearing by the lake, Kiran keeps their ears peeled for any signs of a manakete on the hunt. Having been ambushed by both Nowi and Fae in the library and beaten into submission by two pairs of puppy dog eyes, the summoner finds themselves buried under foliage and squashing the urge to go for a swim. Despite the abundant shade provided by the trees, the muggy weather coats their skin in a damp layer of sticky sweat, making it just downright uncomfortable.
So focused on hearing the telltale sounds of dragon wings in the air or clawed feet padding through the tall grass is Kiran that it takes them a while to realize that the world has suddenly become deathly silent. Gone is the white noise of wildlife and rustling leaves in the breeze; it feels as though time has been frozen, and for a fleeting moment, Kiran almost fears they've gone deaf.
Cautiously, they peer out of their hiding spot, checking their surroundings. It doesn't seem like anything is amiss, but somehow they can't shake the sense of foreboding starting to take root in their chest. Game be damned, they step out into the clearing. "Nowi?"
The only warning Kiran gets is the chill down their spine.
They whirl around, fists raised and ready to fight, only to drop them and scramble backwards in shock. A tall, black-cloaked figure stands before them, the hood obscuring its face completely, and a scythe held loosely in one bony hand.
Kiran goes white. "No no no you can't be real…" They shake their head in disbelief, backing away slowly. The air feels heavy all of a sudden, almost like they're breathing underwater, yet despite the incredulity of the situation, some part of them knows it's the real deal. "Holy shit, what the hell?"
Staring back at the summoner is an endless dark void where the reaper's face should be. It reminds them of vantablack, except that it's their gaze that can't escape, completely ensnared by the supernatural entity in front of them.
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"̴̷̭͕̠͖͔̒̃̄͜-̪͕̬͓̠̠̜͊́ͥ̏-̵̲̲̳̗ͬ̀̆̓̀ ̨͈̤̩̯͇͖̣̱͐ͮn̢̰̫̜̤̳͛͠e̶̷̬̞̮̩̩̩͑͒͂͒̑ͨw͓͙̜̮̼ͩ̽̒̏̄̾ ̵̢̠̼̤͕̩͗̀͋ͦ̽̚g̛̫̝̻̣̹̺̪̓̓̐ͫͯͣ͐ͤ̕͟å̭̼̱̯̯̹͔ͫ̃ͩ̈͡m̪͚̦͚̯͍ͣͪ͜e̼͇̍͒ͫ̈́ ̨͈̙̘͕͖̣̜͎̭̆ͬ͑̊͐́͒̕͢-̡̩͔͓̋̈́-̹͓̫͗͜"̶̑̄͌͘͏̭̝͕͉̤̰͇
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The reaper takes a silent step forward.
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"̝͍̯̦ͯ͑ͯ̿-̧͕̝̃̓ͫ͊ͤͥ̎̓-̷̛̣̮͔͖̻̾̓̓̽͜ ̿ͩ̆ͣ̑ͯ̎̽͘͠͏͉̮̫ü̜͎̹̻̯̘̳͔ͩ͆̆ͪ͜ͅn̢̛̬̲̑̒͒͗͜f̯̖͇͈͉ͩͮ̑ͨ͑̾͢å̙͙̲̯̹̻͎͑ͥ̒̇̅̽̏̍m̵͓͔͉̻̜̠̎͑̽̅ͦ̋͊ȉ̪̼̤̥ͬͦ͌̃ḷ̶̪̼̳̠̥͗̉͒̉ͪͧ̆i̷̙̳ͭ̊ͬ̇̕͡a̴͌ͫ̓̅̈́̈̊̎͏̱̮̹͖̥̻͙͖r̨̭̖̬̪͖͓͗́̿̀ ̥̇ͥ̑̀͝͝w̸̨̼̪̖̗̱̜̉̀̀ͦ͂̋ͤ̊ͩi̢̩͓͋̾ͮt̨͚̺͓̙͈̣̄ͮͫ̕h̵͉͎̥̣̆̾́ͧͥ ̛͉̱ͮͪ͘t̸̞̝̭̰̯͎͈̣̟̓ͥ͐̈́ͦ̃h͓͋̔́ȩ̒̈́͌̈́ͨͧ͏̞̱̩̞̹͓͚̮ ͍͉̟̰̩̼̺͎̠ͭ͛̐̊̓͒͊s̘̟̗̺̜̠ͩ̋ͫͪ̈́ͣ̏̊́͘͟ě̛̯̙̜͕̹̲̳̭͛ͣ̄̚r̺̰̣̥͈̩͖̟ͩ͗͛̓ͤͪi̹ͯͯ̍ͩ͐̓̒̄͡͞ẽ͇̪͙͜s̸̛͎̠̬̯͒́̉ͭͮ̍ ̗͚̗̻̼͕ͧ̆́̚̚͘-̵̻͈̹͕̹͙̽̀ͭͪ̀-̸̼̰̂̓̏͛̀"̢͉̤̙͍̻ͤͪ̈
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Whispers of fog slip past Kiran's lips.
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"̼̮̝̮̬ͭ͒̄́͢͟-̢̝͉̬̞̾ͦͨͥͬ-̴̣͎̟̲̘͊̃͛̄ͫ ̩͇̲̲̪̪̦ͥ̂́͟s̞̰͇̮̠̹ͨ̋̀ỏ̠͖̤̩̽̉̈ͮ ̢̫̻́̀ͣͫͧͧͤ̾͝ḃ̢̧̻͈͕̗͈̥ͤͫr͆̃͂ͭ̍̋̊̚͏͙͎̞̯͎̤̭̻̻̀iͯ̇̂͏͙̞̳g̵̬̖̲̻̣̝̺͔ͮ̅ͥͥ̎̉͊͐͝ͅh̼̦̣̮̣̥̰ͥ̊̈́̽ͣ͗͑̕ͅṭ̥͖̺͖̳̳̲͕̆ͩͧ̐ͯ͊̋̀ ͎͈͔̈̉ͨ̾ͩ͂̄͡-̵̼͚ͧͧ̾̋̀͠ͅ-̴̨̣̱̘̳͕̙͛ͯ̋"̶͉̖̙͌͗̈́͡
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Sunlight glints off the scythe's polished blade.
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"̵͍̫͖̦̟ͮ͒̚̚W̬͔̬͈͇͍͇͈̒́ͦ̔ͫA̬̳̗̬̥̤̺̍̚ͅT̷̨̬̲̺͉ͥͫ͌̀C̨̯̣͖̟̳͆ͥ̀ͮͮ͆͗̍͜͡H͊ͬ̈́̓̐̒ͫ̆͝͞͏̠ ̡͎̞̬̼ͧ̔̇̎͌̋̇ͧO̧̤̳̪̮̐̒ͮͥͣͦͩ́U̷̥̪̺͍̐̀͛̒͒ͮ͑̄Ṱ̬̪͔̎͛̄̋ͤ̇ͪ!̵͚ͩ̂̽͗̈́ͨ̾͢͞"̶̫̌̎̀̇
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Falling to their knees, Kiran screams.
Of all the days to play hide-and-dragonseek… Sharena thinks in despair.
"That's the whole point of the game!" Nowi pouts, even though there's no mistaking the undercurrent of worry in her voice. "We don't know where Kiran is! Maybe somewhere in the forest?"
"Then did you see some kind of creature pass by here?" Alfonse asks urgently. "It's black in color, moves quickly -"
"And reeks of death." Grima's human vessel looks unusually subdued as he approaches the group, the fell dragon in the sky flying agitated circles above the castle. "I sensed something earlier, something bad, but it slipped through my claws before I could pin it down."
Fae whimpers from behind Tiki's legs, clutching at the older manakete's hands as Myrrh hovers nearby. "I-I saw it! It was tall and dark and - and it was holding a big cutting thing!"
"A sickle, I think the farmers call it," Tiki clarifies, patting Fae's head in comfort. "Whatever it was, it scared poor Fae out of hiding."
The fact that the creature is armed (albeit not with the most dangerous of weapons) isn't reassuring in the slightest. All the more reason they have to find Kiran before it does. Fae is herded indoors to be watched by Tiki as the others split up to search for the summoner. While Grima and Nowi scour the castle grounds, Myrrh follows the Askran trio towards the forest.
They've only just made it past the tree line when they hear Kiran scream.
"Shouldn't we call for reinforcements?" Myrrh asks worriedly, pumping her wings harder to keep up with the rest of her group.
"There's no time!" Alfonse argues, unsheathing Fólkvangr as he runs. "Kiran needs our help now!"
"You remember." The reaper's voice oozes like thick oil, slow and patient as it addresses the paralyzed summoner kneeling before it.
"I… I was dying." Kiran's hands fall limply to their sides, their mind reeling with revelations and questions.
Is Zenith even real? Now that they think about it, Askr, Embla, Nifl, Múspell… They shared too many aspects with Norse mythology to be entirely coincidental. And their friends - the Askran trio, all the heroes they've summoned - do they really exist, or are they just figments of an overactive imagination? The extraordinary worlds they hail from, filled with magic and knights and dragons… Medieval variations of purgatory or the afterlife?
The fact that Death came for them though… "Are you going to kill me?" Kiran asks timidly.
"No," the reaper says. "You don't belong here. I have only come to return your soul to your world. If you go now, your body can still be saved."
"And if I stay?"
"Then you will die for certain." Its solemn tone leaves no room for argument. "Your soul will remain trapped in this realm, and you can never go home again."
Home. The word sends a jolt through the summoner's heart. It feels like they've been in Zenith for years now. What about their family, their friends? If they have a chance of survival, does it mean that time had stopped in their world when they were brought here? The war is over, so they can go back and pretend that their adventures were nothing more than vivid dreams…
Kiran remembers suffocating in homesickness during their first few weeks in Askr. They remember locking themselves in their chambers, wallowing in memories of the life they'd been ripped out of. Back then, before they opened their heart to embrace the heroes and their new role as tactician, there was nothing more they had wanted than a chance to return to the world they had always known. Now, that chance is finally here… Assuming they live to see it, that is.
But real or no, there's no denying everything that's happened since the fateful day Anna had summoned them. The battles fought with the Order, the mourning of fallen allies, the grueling exercises in the training tower, the festivals attended in town, the jokes and banter and meals shared with one another… All those forged bonds had to count for something, and even though the heroes were mostly gone now, Zenith had become home too, right?
The scythe is brought forward, and somehow even without a face, the reaper looks almost sympathetic. "Time is running out. Make your choice, child."
By the time they find Kiran, it's too late.
The creature is standing in front of them with its weapon raised high - dear gods, that is definitely not a sickle - and yet the summoner makes no move to get away or defend themselves. In fact, hunched over, they look as though they've already resigned themselves to their fate. Alfonse's heart drops to his stomach, knowing that Kiran isn't one to give up so easily. He sprints ahead of the group, one arm stretched out towards them.
Just a little further, almost there… "KIRAN!"
The scythe descends without warning, its blade seemingly phasing through the summoner's body as it cleaves. Still, Kiran sways and, like a marionette with its strings cut, topples to the side, collapsing in an unmoving heap.
Its job done, the reaper fades away.
"NO!"
Alfonse nearly falls over as he slides to his knees next to them, frantically rolling them onto their back. The distinct lack of blood or any other visible injury is startling, but the fact that they are completely unresponsive drowns everything else out.
"No wound? Did they faint?" Anna gasps in astonishment, kneeling opposite Alfonse and pressing two fingers to Kiran's neck. "It's so weak, I can barely feel it…"
"B-but how? We saw that thing cut them right in half!" Glancing around warily, Sharena's grip on Fensalir tightens as though she's expecting the reaper to return for another round.
"It doesn't matter. We need to get them to the infirmary immediately," Alfonse says, the barest hint of a crack in his voice. The last time Kiran had been this still was when Surtr had almost - If it hadn't been for Kaze's quick reflexes then… The prince shakes his head to derail that train of thought. It's a struggle to keep his composure, seeing the summoner in that same lifeless state, but breaking down won't do them any good. "Myrrh, can you transform and carry two of us back?"
The manakete shifts into her dragon form in response, and Anna helps Alfonse to secure Kiran and climb on. "Go, Sharena and I will meet you back at the castle."
Kiran's head lolls against the prince's shoulder, their body practically dead weight. Alfonse cradles them closer with one hand, the other holding on tightly to Myrrh. He's never really taken to mounts be they on land or sky (how his alternate Spring self manages to stay on top of a horse, during combat no less, baffles him to this day), but right now there isn't anything he wouldn't do to save Kiran.
"Fly, Myrrh! And please, hurry!"
The portal flashes with a burst of light.
Bruno and Veronica ready their tomes, half-anticipating more shadowy creatures to emerge, only to watch as it winks out of existence just as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Is this your doing, brother?" Veronica asks.
"No, the gateway closed of its own accord." Bruno frowns in confusion, snapping his tome shut. "Strange. You feel it too, don't you? Normally we retain some sensing of whatever world we've linked with, but now…"
"The connection with the summoner's world has been completely severed," the Emblian princess finishes. "There's no trace of it left. What do you think has happened?"
Bruno has no answer for her. He looks in the direction of the castle, a sinking feeling in his gut.
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"- giving me a lift. Yeah don't worry, neither of us drank at the party. It's getting late so don't wait up. I'll be home soon, I promise. Goodnight! I love you mum, dad."
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When Kiran wakes up, a visible wave of relief sweeps through the infirmary.
It takes a while to quell the flurry of activity outside their ward once word gets out, what with the mass of worried heroes all clamoring to pay them a visit. Surprisingly (or not), it's Grima who steps up to do crowd control, planting himself in front of the doors and snarling at anyone who comes too close.
The Askran trio are the only ones allowed through for the moment, and Sharena wastes no time launching herself at Kiran with a cry.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" She bawls, clinging to them, yet careful not to squeeze too tightly. Kiran returns the hug and pats her head absently.
"What happened back there?" Anna asks with a frown. "What was that thing?"
The summoner purses their lips and looks away. Pulling back in concern, Sharena steps aside to let Alfonse take her place.
"Kiran?" He calls softly, sitting down on the bed next to them. "Are you alright?"
They shake their head wordlessly and hold out their arms to him instead. Alfonse doesn't hesitate to bring them in close and embrace them, stroking their hair in an effort to soothe whatever's troubling them.
Burying their face in Alfonse's chest, Kiran starts to cry.
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It is a cloudy, moonless night. A crash site lies undisturbed on a secluded roadside.
The body at the wheel is unmoving; the other in the passenger's seat begins to still. There is no light save for the shattered screen of a cellphone in the latter's bloody hands, displaying a colorful sequence of animation before dimming and locking, enveloping the car in darkness.
All is silent.
Author's Note: Goodbye friends I'm dead (too)