Chapter Text
The Somniel - Late Night - One year after Sombron’s defeat and Alear’s coronation.
Alear had thought her journey with the Emblems had ended. She was prepared to handle things as the Divine Dragon Monarch without Marth’s help. Still, she was grateful to have the support of her friends and allies. She will fill in her mother’s footsteps and protect Lythos and all of Elyos.
However, things couldn’t be as easy.
“Arf! Arf!”
“I’m sorry, Sommie… You’d have to stay behind. I’ll return soon, I promise.”
Alear smiled sadly as she slipped on her gloves. She hated making the little one sad, but this wasn’t a journey she could take them on. She turned to the mirror, dressed in her combat attire. She enjoyed wearing her royal outfit, but she felt more at home dressed like this. She double checked her belongings, making sure she had everything.
“Martial arts scrolls? Check. Mother’s swords? Check. Rations? Check. Extra pair of clothes? Check. What else am I missing? Oh!”
She skipped towards her drawer, pulling out a star made out of gold, carefully packing it along with the rest of her items.
“Alright, that’s everything… Time to set out,” she nodded as she put on her backpack. “Stay safe, Sommie. I’ll return for playtime before you know it…”
“Arf!”
Alear left her room, entering the center of the Somniel. She stepped towards the portal between worlds, frowning at its current state. The fact that it was opened without her knowing was concerning. Even with Sombron gone, she knew there could be another threat that would find this portal.
“The Emblems were pulled into this portal… I know that I should ask for Veyle’s help… maybe even the others, but they’re all busy with restoration efforts.”
She exhaled deeply.
“This is something that only a Queen should concern herself with… I’m sorry, everyone. I’ll accept any scolding when I return.”
She smiled at the empty Somniel before stepping towards the portal in the sky, disappearing from Elyos completely. She felt her entire body floating through the air as she crossed this seemingly endless void. The feeling passed almost instantly as she landed on solid ground once more.
“Where am I? This isn’t the portal between worlds…”
She looked around, finding herself in a foreign temple, alit by torchlights all around. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing a glowing gate behind her.
“You’ve arrived at the Dragon’s Gate.”
She turned to the source of that voice, noticing a man wearing white robes, his face obscured by his hood.
“I’m quite surprised… I had a vision, but I didn’t actually expect to see it in person,” the robed man hummed. “Perhaps it is fate that brings us together, Queen Alear…”
“I’m a bit confused, sir… I could have sworn the portal would lead me to somewhere else,” Alear scratched her head. “What is the Dragon’s Gate. How do you know who I am?”
“It’s a portal that dragons have used to go to different worlds. It was first used as a tool to help dragons escape the Scouring in Elibe. We’re in the Kingdom of Nohr, nearing the border to Hoshido.”
“The Scouring…? Nohr? Hoshido?”
Alear tilted her head. It felt like she had heard those places before, but she couldn’t remember where.
“It’s a bit of a long story, but I imagine you’re here for something else… I believe this is yours?”
He held out a hand, revealing a familiar ring.
“The Ring of Hero-King!”
“I found this ring during my travels across worlds,” the robed man handed the ring to her. “Please, take it. I have no need for it.”
“Thank you, sir… I’m in your debt,” she held the ring close.
“You can call me Anankos… and you shouldn’t feel the need to repay me. Ah, but if you could… I do believe there’s something you could help me with. Something that I couldn’t bear to turn to anyone else.”
“I don’t mind hearing you out, but where are we? I don’t sense the other Emblems,” Alear glanced around. “How did you only come across Marth and not the others?”
“I… I suppose it’s fair that I give the complete truth. I foresaw your arrival here. I knew of your search for the Emblem rings and grabbed this one to beg for your aid.”
The robed man got on his knees, prostrating himself.
“Forgive me, your Majesty… I was desperate!”
“Ah… P-Please, you don’t need to do that, sir.”
She pulled the robed man back to his feet. She had to deal with Alcryst throughout their adventure, so she wouldn’t want to repeat that.
“You don’t appear to be a bad person. Could you at least tell me why you need my help? Were you the reason I ended up here?”
“No… You’ve arrived at this portal without my interference. If I had to guess… the Gate’s attuned to the Divine Dragon blood in your veins. Your lineage may have ties to the dragons who fled the Scouring.”
“That’s a lot to take in… My mother lost all of her family over a thousand years ago… I never had the chance to look into the Divine Dragons of old.”
Sombron came from another world as well… so it wasn’t far-fetched. Still, she wasn’t here to look into her lineage. Queen Lumera may be her adoptive mother, but she didn’t remember or feel much of a connection to the Divine Dragons before her.
“The threat I face is something not of this world… at least not completely. He has sought to disturb the Astral Plane, the Deeprealms, and no doubt he’d want to destroy Nohr and Hoshido next.” Anankos frowned. “It’s bad enough I… We still face another major threat. I do not believe this world can handle them both.”
“Could you tell me who this foreign threat is? You’re being awfully vague.”
“...I cannot say, at least not here. The most I can say is that the culprit isn’t human nor dragon… Truth be told, I don’t know what it might be….”
“That sounds quite dire…”
“We should move this conversation elsewhere so that we can speak more in depth, but I won’t force you. I only wish to support my child and help him save this world. If you cannot help, I’ll send you to where you can find the rest of the Emblems…”
Alear stared at Anankos with a neutral expression. She had the Emblems to find, but she couldn’t ignore a cry for help. There’s also something about his wording that worries her. It may be possible that this threat could affect Elyos if left unchecked.
“Alright, Anankos. I’ll help in any way I can. You seem like a kind person…”
“Even though I stole your Emblem ring?”
“You weren’t the first person I’ve befriended who also stole the rings… I’ve been through this song and dance with Yunaka before.”
“Thank you, Queen Alear. I am not worthy of your kindness… I’ll bring us to a place where we can discuss things at length and the task I have for you. Ah, but I should warn you ahead of time…”
Anankos rubbed the back of his head.
“You may lose your sense of time throughout this journey… Of course, I don’t expect to keep you here forever, but time passes differently in the Astral plane and the Deeprealms. Time may be different for us compared to humans, but… I thought I should warn you.”
“I’ve slept for over a thousand years. As long as I’m able to return home before my friends grow old and gray, I’ll be fine.”
“Of course! Now, shall we depart?”
“...Wait, one moment. There’s something I want to try.”
Alear held her Emblem ring up high, staring at it. She then recited the incantation that had been with her for over a thousand years.
“Shine on, Emblem of Beginnings!”
She stood there after her incantation, staring at the results with teary eyes. After all this time, she had thought it would have been the end of their bond. She wiped her eyes, smiling brightly at the old friend who appeared in front of her.
“...Welcome back, my old friend.”
“It’s good to be back,” Emblem Marth said with a warm smile.
Kana’s deeprealm - Midday - Some Undisclosed Time later
Kana knew her Papa was a busy man. She didn’t understand much about the outside world, but the people in the deeprealm told her that her father was making it a better place for her. It’s why she wanted to be a patient girl and wait for him to return. It was lonely, but she never gave up hope that Papa would visit the village.
She had to be strong while she waited for him.
“You big meanies! You don’t scare me!”
She pouted, trying to appear intimidating to the strange, mute soldiers surrounding her. They appeared in her deeprealm suddenly and started attacking everything. She was scared, but then she remembered that she had to be more like her Papa.
“If you don’t stop… I’ll… I’ll…!!”
She reached for her dragonstone, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to lose control like before. One of the soldiers rushed at her, sword in hand, taking advantage of her moment of weakness. The young dragon gasped before holding out her hands, hoping to shield herself.
“Emblem Eternal!”
The soldier didn’t get far, struck down by a red and blue blur. The blur flew across the area, beating up all of the bad people trying to hurt Kana’s home. She lowered her hands, seeing the bad people all gone. Instead, a hooded woman stood there, sheathing her sword.
“Good… I wasn’t too late… Are you alright?” the woman turned to Kana.
“Um! I’m okay! Who are you? Are you a friend of Papa?”
“Are you speaking of Prince Corrin? I’ve heard of him before… We’re not friends yet, but I’d love to meet him one day.”
“You think Papa’s cool too, huh?” Kana smiled. “My name is Kana! I’m going to be a strong dragon when I grow up! What’s your name, pretty lady?”
“Pretty lady…? Ah, you flatter me…”
The woman pulled back her hood. Kana stared at her multicolored eyes and hair in awe. She has never seen a person like that before in the deeprealms.
“My name is Alear. I’m just a simple traveler… on a very important journey. It’s nice to meet you, Kana.”
“Whoa, if it’s a special mission, could I help? I want to be useful to Papa…!”
“Hmm… Well, let’s wait to get permission first. How about we get to know each other while we wait for your father?”
Kana’s smile grew wider, excited at her first chance to make a friend outside of this realm.
Corrin knew it had to be done, but he hated having to hide his daughter in the deeprealms. He loved his child dearly, but it pained him to see the girl grow by years every time he arrived in her deeprealm. He wanted his daughter to live a normal life, but to make that happen, he had to bring everyone together to defeat Anankos. The root cause of this dreadful war.
“Thanks for coming with me today, Azura. I’m glad I can get a break from my retainers, if only for a moment.”
“What are friends for, Corrin?” Azura smiled faintly. “I needed this after that strange dream I had…”
“The one about the desert and the white-haired man?” Corrin tapped his chin. “It’s a strange dream… Could it be a sign of something?”
“I doubt it… Dreams are only dreams at the end of the day,” Azura tilted her head to the sky. “I hope Kana is doing well.”
“She has grown a lot since my last visit. If I’m not careful, she might end up older than me when the war ends,” Corrin chuckled. “I’m glad we get to visit her… but…”
Corrin glanced over his shoulder, staring at the two girls following him.
“I’m not sure why you two are here…”
“Hey, don’t look at us! We’re just following Lady Camilla’s orders,” a red-haired swordswoman scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. “You know how she is with her niece… Isn’t that right, Beruka?”
“We’re ordered to kill anyone who looks remotely suspicious,” the stoic wyvern rider said with a straight face. “Do not worry, Lord Corrin. We won’t let your daughter get hurt.”
“Well… Uh… I appreciate my sister’s concern…”
Corrin sighed before picking up the pace. He spent far too long on the march that he couldn’t find a time to meet Kana. He could only hope she wasn’t lonely all this time. As he neared Kana’s village, he noticed the place was livelier than on his previous visits. He wasn’t going to think much about it… until he saw a nearby fence torn to shreds.
“What happened here?”
“It seems we’ve missed something here,” Azura frowned. “Let’s go find Kana.”
“Right…”
Corrin walked in the direction of Kana’s home. His anxiety rose as he noticed more of the mess around the area. He feared the worst… until he heard a certain someone’s voice.
“Wow! You’re just like me and Papa, huh?” Kana giggled. “Do you also have a dragon form?”
“I used to… but I don’t carry a dragonstone anymore,” An unfamiliar voice was heard nearby. “I would have loved to show you.”
“An enemy.”
A shadow passed over Beruka’s face as she raised her axe. Corrin grabbed the short girl by her collar, stopping her from committing a crime.
“Stop that! Please, don’t resort to killing as your first option!”
“Wait… That voice,” Selena murmured. “No, I’m just hearing things.”
The group arrived in front of Kana’s little home, where the small dragon girl was sitting beside a strange-looking woman. Her multicolored hair and eyes were so striking that Corrin struggled to look elsewhere. She doesn’t appear to be a Nohrian or Hoshidan… nor does she resemble the Vallites.
“Kana?”
“Huh? Oh, Papa!”
Kana shot up, lunging at her father, tackling him with a powerful hug. Her infectious positivity destroyed any anxieties he had. He returned the hug, smiling warmly at his loving daughter.
“I’m so glad to see that you’re alright… What happened here?”
“Um… Some bad guys showed up and tried to ruin our home!”
Kana pulled away, pointing at the stranger.
“And then… Alear came out of nowhere and beat them all up!”
Selena started coughing out of nowhere, stumbling backward.
“W-What?!”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Selena?”
“It’s nothing! I just… Oh gods, she looks just like her,” the retainer murmured.
“Hello there, Prince Corrin. Princess Azura…”
Corrin turned to see the young woman standing before the group, bowing her head.
“It’s an honor to meet you, your Highness…”
“Hey… I’m no one that special,” he shook his head. “You have my thanks for protecting Kana’s deeprealm. If there’s anything I could do, just ask.”
“It’s quite all right… I only wish a bit of your time. There’s a lot I wish to discuss with you and Lady Azura.”
“You don’t appear to be a native to this realm,” Azura frowned. “Who are you?”
“Well, that’s a bit of a long story. All you need to know is that I’m a dragon looking to do good and aid this world to the best of my abilities. If you’d allow me… I would like to speak to you about a grave threat.”
“What should we do, Corrin?” Azura turned to him. “I don’t know if we could trust a random woman that easily, at least with important information about our mission.”
“You have a point… but she saved Kana’s life and her village,” he shook his head. “I don’t know…”
“Bah… You can trust her, Lord Corrin!”
He blinked before turning to Selena, standing with flushed cheeks.
“Do you know this girl?”
“Never seen her in my life,” Selena averted her gaze. “But I know her type. She’s earnest and honest to a fault. Just hear her out… It might be important.”
“I trust her!” Kana tugged on his cape. “Please, Papa! She’s my friend!”
Corrin sighed, holding up his hands.
“Very well… I’ll hear her out. It’s only fair, seeing as I'm concerned about the attack. What if the other deeprealms are like this?”
“You raise a good point,” Azura smiled softly. “Then I’ll follow your lead without protest.”
He nodded at his friends before turning to face Alear.
"Alright, Alear. If you're truly here to help us, I'd be in your debt. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love."
"You will find no disagreement with me there. Let's chat."