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“This temple seems promising.” Alear turned toward Tiki, who was floating beside her. “Let’s keep our eyes peeled for another Emblem Bracelet.”
Tiki nodded, her smile never fading. Earlier that day while Alear played with Sommie, Tiki hurriedly appeared before her with exciting news. The Emblem of Dragons revealed that she had sensed the presence of two more Emblem Bracelets in the islands south of Firene, residing on two of the last three islands that were previously unreachable. At once Alear called forth some of her allies that were currently within the Somniel and made haste to the islands.
The group decided to first make their way to this island and were led through with Emblem Tiki’s guidance. Now that the royals of all four nations were by her side, Alear only needed a little extra help if she hoped to defeat the fell dragon, Sombron.
‘And Veyle…’ She thought bitterly to herself.
Luckily, the Divine Dragon didn’t need to stew in her thoughts for too long.
“Ah! I found it!” Emblem Tiki’s excited shouts brought Alear to her side once more. “Look, it’s the Bracelet of the Shepard Exalt!”
Alear picked it up and looked it over. It was a beautiful bracelet with the stewings of a strange aura within it, so it definitely was an Emblem Bracelet. Still, something about it was different to the others.
“Interesting. There’s an unusual presence inside this one.” It felt familiar to the Emblem of Rivals Alear had trusted to one of her allies, but at the same time it had its own distinct energy to it. “Let’s try the invocation…”
Alear put her hands together simulating chanting a prayer and closed her eyes, focusing on the words appearing in her mind.
“Awaken, Emblem of Bonds!”
The energy within the Bracelet began to stir. Suddenly, a flash enveloped the room.
A man manifested in form, handsome with an air of leadership and confidence surrounding him. He wore what was clear to be noble armor adorned with a white cape to his shoulders, his signature sword in hand. Like many of the other Emblems that Alear and her allies had come into contact with, he had striking blue hair with deep blue eyes to match. There was also a mark on his arm that looked familiar to the Divine Dragon, though she couldn’t pinpoint where she’d seen it before.
However, it didn’t stop there. RIght after the man came a woman, beautiful in appearance and regal in nature. Her light brown eyes stared sharp and her long white hair was pulled into twin ponytails, with a large purple coat covering her entire figure and a strange book held in her hands. Alear felt an affinity to this spirit, almost like they were kindred spirits in some strange sense.
The man and woman stood back to back, showcasing the trust they had in each other. In their hands were the sword and book respectively, ready to attack and protect the other if they so needed.
The flash finally disappeared after a couple seconds, the spirits within the Emblem of Bonds floating before Alear and Tiki.
“Awake at last.” The man smiled, looking around the temple in strange familiarity, before setting his eyes on his partner. “I feel like I slept for quite a while.”
“I agree.” The woman, her own smile gracing her features, nodded. “This almost reminds me of the nap I took in that field so long ago.”
The man chuckled, placing a hand behind her back.
“Guess I can’t tease you for those long naps of yours anymore.”
The woman lightly smacked the chest of the man in a playful scold, though she did not disagree with his statement.
Alear stared between the two, unsure of what to do. The interactions between the man and woman were so endearing that she did not want to interrupt them. Still, there was the matter at hand that needed to be addressed, and she doubted the both of them wanted an audience to their friendly banter.
“Um, hello?”
The man and woman looked up, finally realizing they were no longer alone. They both blushed, but the man shook his head and was first to recover.
“Ah, sorry, we were just getting our bearings.” He placed a hand to his chest and bowed his head. “Nice to meet you. I’m Chrom.”
“He’s the leader of the Shepherds.” The woman proclaimed proudly, her eyes gleaming happily as she looked at him.
“I’m Robin, his tactician.” She placed a hand to her chest and bowed, mimicking Chrom. “If you’re the one who awakened us, then you have my thanks.”
“Yes. I’m the Divine Dragon, Alear.” She repeated the polite bow of Chrom and Robin, looking curiously amongst the two. “So, you’re two Emblems in the same Bracelet?”
“Right.” Chrom nodded. “But it’s not that surprising. Robin and I are bound by ties stronger than fate.”
Alear tilted her head at his words.
“What do you mean?”
“I swore an oath to Chrom when we lost his older sister, the Exalt Emmeryn.”
Robin’s smile dropped, her tone growing somber. Quick to react after seeing her saddened, Chrom placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle smile along with it. Robin’s own smile returned in no time.
“Neither of us was half the person she was, but together we became something more.”
“From then on, we supported each other through thick and thin, no matter the danger.” Chrom added fondly.
Once again the two looked at the other, the longing in their eyes and smiles apparent to anyone who looked at them. The gears in Alear’s head began to turn, curious as to why these two were so different when compared to Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. It couldn’t click for her immediately, so she decided to ask.
“Forgive me, but your Emblem is called the Bracelet of the Shepard Exalt.” Chrom and Robin turned back to Alear, listening intently to her. “So, does that mean you are the Exalt the Bracelet refers to?”
Alear was addressing Chrom, gathering context clues from his and Robin’s words. Before he could reply however, Robin was quick to answer.
“Of course! Not only is he the leader of the Shepherds, but the revered King of Ylisse, the Exalt who rebuilt the halidom with the guidance of Naga herself.” Robin giggled to herself, coming in closer to Alear for a semi-whisper. “If you were to ask any of the Shepherds back in our world, they would only have good things to say about him.”
“Oh no you don’t.” Robin and Alear turned back to Chrom, seeing him with his hand on his hip. “You are as responsible for restoring Ylisse as I, if not more so.”
“You gave everything to ensure the safety of our people and our Shepherds, to ensure mine. If you think you are not deserving of your title of Exalt, Robin, then Gods know I will never be.”
Robin blushed and gave him an annoyed look, but said nothing to retort his claim. Chrom smiled in victory, while Alear’s mind worked to find the meaning of his statement.
It took a second, but as soon as it clicked it all fell into place.
“Oh, now I understand!” Alear slammed her fist in her hand, smiling as she was no longer confused. “You are husband and wife! That is how you both have the title of Exalt.”
“That’s right.” Chrom smiled, placing an arm around Robin and pulling her closer. “My sister fought for a peaceful world. Together, Robin and I made that a reality.”
“What a wonderful story.” Alear smiled at the King and Queen before her, their love so clear it made her long for one similar. “We’re also fighting to make our world a peaceful one.”
“Would the two of you be willing to put your efforts toward another happy ending?”
Alear held her breath, waiting for their reply. She should be able to convince them if she explained their cause well enough.
“Of course.” Chrom replied as if it was no big deal. “We’d be honored.”
“Honored!?” That threw Alear for a loop. “But I haven’t even told you what’s happening!”
“I knew I could trust you the moment I looked into your eyes.” The King Exalt explained.
“Chrom follows his instincts.” Robin clarified to the confused girl. “He trusted me right away too, even though I’d lost my memory.”
“Best decision of my life, frankly.”
Another slap to her husband’s chest, accompanied by a subtle laugh at his wife’s blush. Alear couldn’t help but feel these two had quite the story to tell.
“Well, I appreciate the confidence.”
“Before we join you, though,” Chrom straightened his relaxed form, a serious look appearing in his eyes. “I think we’ll have to see for ourselves what you’re made of.”
“Agreed.“ Robin nodded, adopting her own serious stance. “It takes strength and fortitude to win a fight. We should make sure you have both.”
“Don’t worry - it’s not a formal test.” Chrom reassured the tense Alear. “Just show us what you’ve got, and trust it’ll be enough.”
“I understand.” Alear nodded. “Let’s get started!”
~
Alear and her allies stood in formation, the majority of them with an Emblem of some form on their person. Perhaps it was the similarities in name, but Alear decided it was best to wield the Emblem of the Princess Exalt for this battle.
“No need to hesitate.” Chrom called out to them from the other end of the temple, standing back to back with his wife. “Come at us with everything you’ve got.”
“Let’s see how you handle our strategy.” Robin smirked.
Alear was not deterred, ready to prove to the Exalts that she and her allies were worthy of their help. Still, she couldn’t be rash. Something told the Divine Dragon that these two would not be so easily defeated.
True enough, Alear could make out a faint but visible barrier surrounding them.
“That barrier is in our way.” She addressed her allies. “We’ll have to figure out how to break through it.”
Luckily for her, it appeared someone may have had a solution.
“Divine One.” Alfred pointed at three different areas of the temple. “It looks like those crystals are generating the barrier.”
Seeing as they were the only things in the vicinity that could logically be the cause, Alear nodded and pointed to the nearest one.
“Let’s try smashing one and see what happens.”
Her allies all nodded beside her and marched forward, signaling the start of the battle. There were a few Fabrications nearby, but nothing that couldn’t be handled by an attack or two. Eventually they were close enough to the first Crystal to attack it. Within a few hits, it shattered.
However, even though they had just destroyed it, the Crystal just as quickly became whole once more.
“What?” Alear had to blink to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. “The crystal reverted back…”
“Then we can’t waste any time!” Alfred said, determined as usual. “We better attack them all as quickly as possible.”
Alear quickly composed herself and nodded, splitting her allies in groups of three to ensure the Crystals’ quick destruction. However, this appeared to only help fall into place the strategy of the Emblems ahead.
“Their formation’s disrupted.” Chrom turned to his wife. “Is it time, Robin?”
“Definitely.” Robin opened her tome. “Let’s move on to the next phase of the plan.”
Suddenly, the temple’s ground began to overflow with puddles. Though there were a few spaces here and there that were dry, the majority of the floor became difficult to move around in.
“The area is flooded!” Alear looked around, seeing more Fabrications had come in their moment of weakness. “Is this their plan to block our progress?”
“Very clever.” A voice came from the ring Alear wore. Lucina appeared in a flash, a fond look on her face. “Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. She was always good at utilizing the terrain to our advantage.”
“Lucina!” Alear exclaimed out loud, but was shushed by the Emblem.
“My apologies.” Lucina said with a smile. “But if it’s alright with you, I'd rather not reveal to them just yet that I’m here.”
Alear gave her a confused look, unsure of why Lucina was so adamant, but followed through with her wishes.
“Thank you.” Lucina gave a grateful smile before a mischievous glint sparkled in her eye. “Now then, I don’t suppose you’d mind some advice on how to - tip the scales in our favor?”
“By all means.” Alear gestured to her struggling allies. “Anything right now would be of help.”
Lucina smiled and whispered in Alear’s ear a strategy that would perfectly counteract the predicament they were in. Once she was finished she gave a wink, retiring into her ring for a moment until the confrontation with Chrom and Robin.
Sure enough, with Lucina’s suggestion the tides quickly began to change. The Divine Dragon’s Army managed to defeat all the Fabrications near them, and even managed to destroy the crystals before any of them returned to their fixed form.
“Excellent, we destroyed all the crystals.” And sure enough, the barrier protecting the Exalted Emblems shattered, twin to the crystals forming it. “The barrier’s down! Hurry, let’s advance on the Emblems!”
~
More Fabrications appeared, attacking Alear and her friends. Only Alear was able to make it forward to face the two Emblems, but something in her gut told her everything would be fine with Lucina by her side.
Alear advanced toward Chrom, as Robin was busy focusing on Alfred and Diamant. Chrom noticed her approaching him, and readied his stance for an attack. Alear did the same, her aura indicating she Engaged with the ring she wore.
“I can tell by your form that you’re no stranger to battle.” Chrom was impressed, that much she could tell. “You know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve learned a lot along the way,” Alear raised her chin high “but I still have a goal to achieve.”
“You’ve got as much determination as Robin does. I can see it in your eyes.” Chrom couldn’t help but see the growing similarities between the two women as he continued to learn more about his future ally. “Now, let’s get started. I’m ready when you are!”
Alear nodded, ready to attack, but stopped when Lucina excitedly manifested between them.
“Father! I never expected to see you in this world too!”
“Lucina!:” Chrom’s eyes widened, but his expression became one of pure joy upon seeing his daughter before him once more. “I wasn’t expecting to see you either.”
“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Chrom’s expression, one of fondness and pride, never left his face even as he raised his sword once more. “but let’s save it until after the battle.”
“Of course! It has been a long time since we sparred.” Lucina giggled to herself, recalling a memory from when she was young. “Let’s both try not to break anything this time, for Mother’s sake!”
It took a few strikes, but eventually the King Exalt was defeated. All that was left was his other half.
“I’m curious to see what you’ve got.” Robin smirked, holding her tome in such a confident, defined manner. “Show me the leader we’re joining forces with.”
“Happy to, Emblem Robin.” Alear smirked, further showcasing the similarities between the two. “Our strategies may not impress a tactician like you, but the bonds among my allies are strong!”
Robin said nothing at first, but soon enough her smirk was replaced with a genuine smile.
“I think Chrom was right.” As always, her husband’s intuition was just and true. “You do seem worthy of our trust.”
Robin was prepared to strike the Divine Dragon with a spell, but just like with her husband Lucina quickly manifested.
“Mother! You came along with Father, I see!”
“Lucina! Oh, my darling girl!” Robin’s face beamed with love, her eyes shining as they fell on her daughter. “That’s right. I never left your Father’s side.”
“I feel a bit self-conscious fighting you, Mother.” Lucina’s expression fell. “Especially as I recall the last time I raised my sword against you.”
“Oh Lucina, none of that matters.” The tactician in Robin was momentarily abandoned, her motherly instincts taking over. “You did what you thought you had to do, and all of it is in the past. I held no ill will then, and I do not hold any now.”
“Mother…” Lucina began to feel her eyes water, something she did not know was possible for an Emblem, but refrained herself. Instead, she gave a grateful smile and got into proper battle stance. “Thank you. If that’s the case, I will do the best I can!”
“Wonderful!” Robin returned to her own fighting form. “Don’t hold anything back!”
And just like with her other half, it took a few good strikes before the Queen Exalt was able to yield.
~
Now that the Fabrications were destroyed and Chrom and Robin were defeated, Alear made her way back to the Emblem Duo.
“Well, I think that settles it.” Robin beamed, turning and looking at her husband. “I’ve got my answer. How about you, Chrom?”
“Yes, indeed.” Chrom nodded to his wife. “We saw a tremendous display of strength and resolve.”
“You are both bold in your actions and sincere in your beliefs.” They both now turned and looked at Alear. “I’m impressed.”
Alear beamed, loving the praise she was receiving.
“So, you’ll join us?”
“Sorry for the trouble, but I wanted to be sure.” Chrom gave her a single, steadfast nod. “Yes, Alear, we’ll help you.”
“Let’s join forces and usher this world toward an era of peace.” Robin added.
“Thank you, Emblem Chrom, Emblem Robin.” Alear said with a grateful bow. “With you on our side, I’ve got more hope for our world than ever.”
“Hope, yes!” Chrom boasted. “That’s the key to your peaceful world right there.”
“And it’s up to us to spread that hope, so the world doesn’t fall into despair.” Robin clasped her hands together and shut her eyes, reveling in the feeling. “I think it’s very important to breathe life into that goal by speaking it aloud.”
“Well said.” Chrom lovingly gazed at her before turning back to Alear. “If our goal is to bring hope to the world, we can’t be half-hearted about it.”
“There have been times in my life when I’ve been close to despair.” Chrom’s heart grew heavy as he remembered the events of his own world. “In those moments, it was only thanks to Robin and our friends that I didn’t give up.”
“Chrom…” Robin’s heart too grew heavy. She remembered the sacrifice she had to make for the sake of their world, the one that caused him more grief than she would ever know.
“Even when I was destined to die, and Robin was destined to lose herself, we conquered fate by trusting and inspiring each other. That hope, those bonds, they’re what lead us to each other, both before and after we saved our world.”
“That’s right!” Robin smiled with a determination that mirrored the one of her own world. “And so long as you hold on to hope, you’ll be capable of the same.”
“I understand.” Alear said, genuinely moved by their words. “I'll take those words to heart.”
“That’s the spirit!” Chrom took Robin’s hand, to which Robin immediately intertwined their fingers. “We look forward to joining you in the battles to come!”
~
“Father! Mother!’’ Lucina was before her parents, no longer pressured by the thrill of battle. “It’s been too long!”
“Lucina!” Chrom wrapped his arms around her, the apparent rules of the Emblems somehow allowing them to have contact. “I’m so happy to see you again!”
“Oh Lucina, how happy it makes me to see you well!” Robin joined in on the hug, the family lovingly embracing each other. “And you’ve become an Emblem, just like us? Incredible.”
“Yes,” Lucina answered, nuzzling into Robin’s neck. “it appears we all have been chosen to guide others of whom have similar journeys to ours.”
“I see, that makes sense. Still, your father and I do nothing but worry about you.” Robin shook her head, unaware of Chrom’s widening eyes. “If i’m being honest it does get tiresome sometimes, but we just can’t help it.”
“Robin…” Finally Robin looked in Chrom’s way, seeing his look of dread. “We agreed we weren’t going to discuss that in front of her.”
Shocked, Lucina removed herself from the embrace. She looked back and forth between her parents, seeing the guilty looks on their faces.
“You two really worry that much?”
“Of course we do.” Chrom said with a sigh. “We’re your parents. But, now that we’re all together again, your Mother and I can finally rest easy.”
“Well…” Robin trailed off, hugging herself as she looked away. “Not all together…”
Chrom and Lucina gave each other a confused gaze, unsure of what saddened her so, before the realization hit them like a wyvern in heat.
“Robin…”
“Oh, Mother.” Lucina looked down, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, she walked up and gently grabbed her mother’s cheeks. “You don’t have to worry about him, Mother! I’m sure Morgan is an Emblem and defending others in another world, just as you and Father once were!”
“She’s right Robin.” Robin felt Lucina let go of her cheeks, only for a larger one to replace them and tilt her head up, meeting the blue eyes she fell in love with so long ago. “Even if he isn’t here with us physically, I know in my heart that our son is thriving, just like Lucina, you, and I.”
“I suppose you both have a point.” Robin took hold of the hand holding her cheek, giving it a grateful squeeze. “I just can’t help but worry about him.”
The family said nothing for a moment, taking in the silence around them. Lucina thankfully broke it, wearing a hopeful smile.
“For what it’s worth Mother, our bonds are so strong that they returned you to us even when it seemed it couldn’t be done.” Lucina’s smile turned into one of mirth as she recalled her brother, junior to her by only two years. “Maybe, if we’re lucky, the same can happen with Morgan.”
“That… sounds wonderful, Lucina!” Though she still felt saddened by his absence, Robin could feel her optimism coming forth. “If we are patient, and maybe with a little bit of luck, we can all be reunited once more.”
“That sounds lovely, Mother!” Lucina closed her eyes and placed a hand on her chest. “Already it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, just by seeing you and Father!”
“Now we can all fight side by side again, like we did in Ylisse.” A hopeful glint appeared in Lucina's eye. “For now, just us three. But in the future, maybe we can become four.”
“Nothing would make me happier.” Chrom’s beamed at his girls.
“Together,” Robin looked happily among them. “We’ll make this world a better place.”
Now that Lucina had both her parents by her side once more, nothing felt more true.
“Together!”