An Unlikely Ally

"Kiran, I really must express my-"

"Yes yes, exercise caution?"

"Well, yes. But another thing."

Alfonse paced about Kiran's quarters, overlooking the summoning grounds past the Summoner's window.

"I have a... bad feeling."

"That's new," Kiran laughed, twirling Breidablik around their gloved finger casually, holstering back on their hip smartly before giving Alfonse a sigh. "It's only been about ten minutes since the last one."

"Regardless, this one is 'extra' bad, if you will."

"Relax friend. If you can. You remember what happened last time this energy surge happened. You can't argue with what we earned for being brave."

"I'm well aware of the results of last year's blessing. I'm also aware of the Order getting a serving of blood we couldn't quite bandage."

Kiran cringed. Oh, how tactics and strategy quickly fell in the presence of sheer power.

"If I recall, you had your butt handed to you by Lyn and Roy simultaneously, trying to impress me."

"I had no choice! You kept me home while the Order would sortie! I was... growing impatient. I wished to prove myself. To you."

"I suppose I must apologize. I can't blame you in hindsight. Regardless, look at you now. I can throw you in the thick of things, one scratch and your guard is impregnable. It's like you awaken when you're bleeding or something like that."

"It's called training. I had plenty of time to do that you know. Instead of sortieing."

"Superpowers, more like. You can tell me you trained all you want but I know magic when I see it. I have every reason to believe you drank all our Divine Dew while I was gone. Well, at the very least you certainly have gotten stronger far stronger than I remember. Curious though, I have no idea why those shiny yellow stones didn't work on your Askran weapons in the first place, but here we are. You've proven yourself versatile. I was just being cautious, seeing as how you weren't as hardy as some of the Heroes we've summoned lately. You already know I'm thankful you're in the vanguard instead of on that bench you've been sulking on as of late."

"I'm rather fond of that bench you know. My father made it for me when I was a lad," Alfonse ignored, lost in thoughts.

"Yes yes, Askran history. So rich. I'm riveted."

"Back to the matter at hand," Alfonse sighed, ignoring the off-handed jape. "This time... it feels different. The energies around the stone."

"What's wrong with different? The summoning grounds spike every two weeks, we all know that. So what if it's a high pulse this time? Last time you warned me and we turned out fine."

The Askran prince scowled at Kiran's oblivious nature, suppressing the urge to shake some sense into the white-clad summoner.

"You're not wrong, but you're being too lax. Can we at least sortie some Heroes to protect you?"

Kiran chuckled, spinning around and watching their cloak swirl from the momentum.

"Alfonse, no one has attacked me when they emerged. Not even Grima. Besides, you know what happens to the heroes that get caught in the grounds when I fire."

"..."

It was funny in hindsight, Alfonse would never admit, but Virion accidentally sent himself home when he interrupted one of Kiran's summoning sessions, causing the summoner to spout into a rare fit of curses as they fired silver orb after silver orb, trying to bring the archer back.

Kiran laughed again, no doubt from the shared memory.

"C'mon. It's high time we sort this out."

"I suppose it is. Let's be off."

"So, what orb should I start with, dear Anna?"

"Oh please Kiran. I know we cut rank a long time ago, but please show some manner of decorum when performing the summoning-"

"Red it is. And boom, locked in. Let's be on our guard people. Everyone alright?"

Last year, certain individuals felt powerful pulses of energy when Kiran locked in the four orbs to Breidablik. Upon chambering in the blue orb that was provided, Chrom instantly began to feel unwell, while Robin started seeing moments of his past. They seemed to recede when Lucina emerged though, bathed in holy light and wielding a lance no one had seen before. Why, Kiran had no idea. Lucina, rather the Lucina that emerged, seemed to have no apparent differences from other Heroes.

Still, when Mist started complaining as soon as he locked in the green orb, suspicions were sure to be had.

"As soon as I pull this trigger, you'll be alright. Here we go."

"I feel kinda funny," Alm excused, turning around and holding his stomach. Around him, Sonya and Mae were showing mild signs of discomfort as well. Celica was worst off, with both Duma-serving and Mila-serving priestesses looking rather pale and out of wits.

"Interesting," Kiran thought aloud. "Looks like it's someone... Valentian?"

Without wasting time, the trigger was pulled, bathing the grounds in a bright flash of light.

Kiran recalled fondly the first time the rite was performed. Reading off a piece of scratch paper made the greeting kind of lose its heroic effect, but by now, the sacred words of the Summoner were not easily forgotten.

"Hear my voice and heed my call, Hero. You stand here a stranger to us. Now you are a friend. Speak your name and be welcome... home."

"I... am Celica," the light called out, and out emerged the aforementioned Queen of Valentia. Her outfit was rather... plain? It was certainly some sort of traditional garb though, with not a thought for modern fashion. A quick glance at Alm and Kiran already knew some interesting things were going to take place.

"I heard a voice calling out to me... waking me from a strange dream. Was that you?"

Kiran inhaled slowly, nodding with confidence at the priestess standing amidst the Order.

"It was, yes. Welcome to Askr, Queen Celica. I trust you know why you're here."

The four other 'Brave' Heroes that Kiran summoned last year seemed to all share the same story. Somehow, some sort of consensus among them bound them across worlds, heeding the voices of those who would see them save Askr.

"It's hazy, I'll admit. But it's as if I've been here before."

"You have," Celica, or rather the Mila-serving princess, announced, her headache dissipated. The other Celica, the new one, looked back, not at all surprised to see herself. Or her Duma-possessed version either. Funny. Lucina had a much harder time taking it all in. Celica surely was made of sterner stuff.

"Then it seems my sword is at your service," the priestess declared, bowing to Kiran before stepping aside.

"Your sword... that looks like my sword," Alm trailed off, following the third iteration of his wife back towards the lodgings.

"Alright then. Green?"

"Sure," Anna agreed, curiosity surpassing formality.

Kiran nodded, inserting the green orb into the sacred weapon, gauging the Heroes outside for any immediate reactions.

"Oh gods," L'arachel spouted off immediately, holding her head. "Halt this at once!"

"I can't tell if she's overreacting or if-"

"I see a foul demon of perversion!" the Princess of Rausten cried, as if her head was being torn asunder. "With a rather muscular chest, might I add. I will not have him here!"

"Oh boy."

Kiran fired, keeping one eye opened even as the bright light forced a squint.

Even through the light, the figure that cut through was imposing. Along with that massive axe.

"Hear my voice and heed my call, Hero. You stand here a stranger to us. Now you are a friend. Speak your name and be welcomed home."

"I am Ephraim."

That was enough to set L'arachel off. She dove into the circle, or rather, tried to. Tana and Innes restrained the poor Princess back.

"W-what?! Unhold me on once so I can cleanse that foul pervert with my holy-"

"I... heard voices. Calling me to this place. I should be surprised. And yet, it's so very familiar."

"I called upon you, legendary King of Renais. You were a creature of battle, yes, but also a ruler of wisdom and honor. That's the shield I need to protect my people."

"Then you shall have it, if it gives me another chance to see my friends again. To fight again. To protect, again."

"I thank you, King Ephraim. Welcome back to Askr."

"I missed you too, Lari."

Kiran tried to turn away from L'arachel attacking the regally armored knight, but the sound of her squealing was too much to ignore.

"I can't tell with them, you know?"

"Let's say she's a tricky one, with Tana fawning over one and Fae and Eirika always with the other." Anna replied knowingly. "Next up?"

Lilina gazed in awe as her father... one of many it seemed, emerged from the circle. He was wearing Uther's armor! Lilina never met her uncle personally, but Hector would always tell her stories of the strict but fair older brother.

"Hear my voice and heed my call, Hero. You stand here..."

"I'm no stranger to this place, friend. I know these halls well."

Kiran shrugged, all sense of formality gone. This was Hector they were talking about. There were like three of them out there already.

"Well, welcome... back, Hector. That's a funny looking Armads you have there."

"Funny you mention it. Back in my day, I got swarmed by a bunch of stupid wyvern knights. I took down most of them but one of them got the jump on me. Caught me clean down the back. I don't remember much else, but it's safe to say I wasn't long for the world after that."

"Father... you died where I couldn't see you," Lilina complained silently.

"Yeah, that's right I see you you damn coward," Hector called out, prompting Narcian to cower back.

"Anyway, that's why I'm holding this. Maltet, one of 8 mythical weapons that really put the hurt on dragons way back before all this political mush came to be. See, I don't much like wyvern riders since they killed me and all, but... well. Yeah."

"I'm sure you'll find this place much to your liking then. Try not to kill our wyverns."

"No guarantees. Why can't you have just Pegasus Knights? I like their riders better."

"That's not up to me," Kiran laughed. Hector chuckled alongside the Summoner, heading towards Lilina who had three previous experiences greeting her father from the dead.

"Well hello there gorgeous," the lance-wielding knight greeted, rubbing Lilina's head and ruffling her hair. "You look more like your mother every time I see you."

"You look about the same, Papa."

"Nonsense! I'm taller."

"T-that's because you're not slouching. You always slouch in armor."

"I'm always in armor."

"I-it's good to see you. Again."

"Well, this is it," Kiran sighed, rather pleased with the results thus far. "Silver. We got Lyn out of one of these, right? We all appreciate what she's done for us."

With a flourish, the Summoner twirled the sacred weapon, loading in the silver orb with rehearsed fluidity.

"Kiran wait, hold fire," Anna warned. Kiran lowered Breidablik slowly, turning around.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

"I'm getting that really bad sense in my gut," Alfonse warned, holding his chest in slight annoyance. "I feel chills."

"Me too, I see... something weird," Sharena added, which really put Kiran off. Sharena didn't look normal with a frown. The last time she frowned... Askr's gates were ablaze from Emblian attackers.

"Be careful Kiran," Fjorm warned, not affected by the ritual like the Askran trio. "I'm by your side. Go ahead."

"Don't do it!" Alfonse blurted, shaking his head. "It's not who you think it is."

"I don't think I know who I think it is," Kiran answered, perplexed. "What's happening to you three?"

"Whoever you're about to summon... is going to kill us!"

"Nonsense-"

"Lower your weapon!" Anna yelled. "That's an order!"

"You don't give orders to me," Kiran muttered, raising Breidablik and firing.

A trio of weapons were raised at Kiran, but Fjorm raised Leiptr to hold them off.

"Hear my voice and heed my call, Hero. Yo-"

"I stand here, a stranger to you. Now... I am your friend."

Kiran froze, lowering Breidablik without ceremony.

"...There's only one other person I know that would know that."

"It's required of all Emblian nobility, Kiran. I was trained from birth to be a Queen of my people."

Kiran withheld the order for every ballista in the castle to fire on her, and instead faced the problem at hand with words instead of sharp sticks.

"This is certainly unexpected. Would you mind, I don't know, getting out of my castle?"

"Why would I do that? You're the one that was calling for me. I know your voice, Kiran. I've heard it on the battlefield over and over again. It's engraved in my memories. It called me here. You called me here."

"I doubt I would even mention you, Princess. Maybe you're-"

"What was your deepest wish, Kiran?"

"Deepest wish? What are you talking about?"

"To see Askr and Embla reunited, was it not? To stop this war? Wasn't that what you've wanted?"

"H-how do you... wait. So you're surrendering?"

"Nonsense, Kiran. You called for me. You asked for me. I answered."

"You're no hero."

"Perhaps not. But I will be. Or else you would have never needed me. I would not be here if not for my future under you."

"Wait, are you..."

"I'm not the Veronica you face, no. I was her, perhaps. But now I have grown. I am wiser now, alone... now."

"Zacharias," Alfonse realized, lowering Folkvangr. "He never came back."

"Bruno has abandoned me, thinking he can find a cure for our condition. But that is worries for another time, another Veronica."

"Enough of that. I get the how, I guess. But Why? Why would I call for you, shorty?"

"Ignoring your lack of tact, I'm still a Princess, you know. And as Princess, I can do certain things, like help Askr and Embla reunite. Just like you wanted, Kiran."

"I don't know what to say, Kiran," Anna admitted, admiring the summoner just a little bit more.

"Is that really what you've been fighting for? Kiran?" Alfonse asked, lowering his sword. Sharena nodded hopefully, looking to the Summoner for an answer. Kiran turned from them back to the Emblian facing him.

"It is. And if you are who you say you are, you'll tell me what you will do, Princess."

"What I do is no longer important, Kiran. You summoned me. You command me. "

"This is all very strange," Kiran sighed, rubbing both temples with frustration. "Everyone, dismissed. Princess, if you may, I'll be in my quarters."

Fjorm and Sharena followed, but the Summoner looked at them blankly.

"You know what I mean."

"But Kiran-"

"I know. I'll die if I get killed. So I won't."

"Well, yes, but-"

"If she does anything, don't avenge me. She wasn't lying, you know. I'd like this war to end, you know. I want to go home too."

"Do you drink coffee? Or does that stunt your growth?" Kiran offered, smirking as Veronica only scowled back. Taking the cup, the Emblian princess took a small sip before scowling again at the bitter taste.

"I heard the sincerity in your voice when you asked me, Summoner. You truly wanted me here. I... felt compelled. Don't pretend to hide behind some facade now that I'm here at your doorstep. I obliged for reasons of my own. But I won't deny your wish to see me here."

"I apologize, this is just surreal. You have been the source of all my woes for the last year and change. And now to think that some other version of you is here, willing to cooperate with me..."

"I felt your honesty Kiran, your sincerity. It was a pure wish."

"What do you get out of this?"

"You already know."

"He's still out there, Alfonse thinks. Shouldn't you be out there instead of here? We could kill you!"

"I know that fact well. But... ignoring that. There's another lament of mine that has been solved by answering your call."

"And what is that?"

"I... would have a friend again."

"F-friend? Me? You've been trying to kill me!"

"Yes. I know. But you summoned me. I have no ill intent for you. No matter how far I would dig within my heart, I would not find any."

"You did complete the Rite for me."

"But of course. I accepted your greeting. It is a sacred rite that our people, both Askran and Emblian once performed. I stood there, a stranger to you. An enemy."

"But now you're my friend."

"But now I'm your friend."

...

Kiran sat down next to Veronica, finally setting the height differential between them to a somewhat equal standing.

"You're still out there, waging a war on us, aren't you? You're not our Veronica."

"Were it so easy. But she is young, she will know the error of her ways in time. Not soon enough, I lament."

"Is there anything I can do for you? You must be tired. The Heroes we summon often need a couple hours to get their bearings and recover-"

"Kiran."

"Yes?"

"Your wish was to see our countries united once more, right?"

"I'm not Askran, but..."

"I know. You're not from Zenith at all. Well, my wish was something selfish, childish, I know. But there is one thing you can do for me."

"And what is that, Princess?"

"Until my brother comes back... I don't want to be alone again. I've been alone all my life. I want what the Order has in you. I want... companionship."

Kiran gawked slightly, defenses coming undone by Askr's sworn enemy wishing to just turn things around.

"I don't know what to do."

"Don't leave."

"I kind of can't."

"If you had the choice, would you?"

"..."

"I hope you wouldn't. You are very kind. Not at all who I thought you would be, from what I've seen on the battlefield where you would best me time and time again."

"You would kill me if you got this close to me last year."

"No I wouldn't. I would never kill you, to be honest. Even on the battlefield, I craved interaction with others. I toyed with you so much because it was the only way to have you linger longer than you would."

"When you heard my voice... what did I say?"

"I'm not sure, really," Veronica admitted. "I wish I knew. But I knew you wanted my help. And to be honest... I wanted yours too. If I could have reached you like you reached me, I would have."

"Well, now that I'm here next to you, and you know what I want and I know what you want..."

"I'm not trying to broker a deal, Kiran. I'm not trying to bargain chips on the table or whatever that game does. I just want a friend. Someone that will keep me company. T-this is very hard to admit, come to think of it."

"I summoned you. You don't have a choice, do you?"

"I'm older and smarter now Kiran. I grew to share your wish. I want to reunite our families once more. Nifl, Muspell, all the realms. I don't want anyone to be alone. Even if you hadn't summoned me, I would still be here, ready to do my part. For us."

"...Fine."

"Fine?"

"I, well, I... am honored to have you help us, Princess."

"That's not what I asked for."

Kiran scoffed, suppressing a grimace and instead replacing it with an a small smile.

"So... we should be friends now?"

"Only if you want to be, Kiran."

"Then... welcome home, Veronica."